Summer by the Bay
by Jirubee
Summary: Being on her own for the first time, Kagome spends her summer with her best friend in a small beach town. She finds it in herself to grow into her own shoes, and fall in love for the first time. But even the purist of summer love has a cruel end
1. Bloody Dresses

Summary: Being on her own for the first time, Kagome spends her summer with her best friend in a small beach town. She finds it in herself to grow into her own shoes, and fall in love for the first time. But even the purist of summer love has a cruel ending.

Sand and Single Beds

AN: This piece isn't my strongest, but I really wanted to see how it would go. Please let me know what you think of this piece. Continue, discontinue, constructive criticism. I am going to go back and edit it, because this is something that I feel is going to be a bit difficult to write. I really really want to, though. Haha.

**EDITED JUNE 17 12**

Thanks for reading everyone.

The summer sun kissed her skin, gently lapping away the chill still lingering from the winter. She was golden beneath the rays, delicately dancing in her summer dress. It was the first time she'd had experienced the freedom of being alone. The first time she had let the sand roll over her skin like a gritty blanket.

This was an adventure. An adventure which pierced her veins with electricity, as well as the nervousness and possibility of failure. Kagome was _finally _gaining the trust of her family, and growing into shoes that were once far to big for her to walk in.

Her small hands brushed back the messy hair from her face as she dipped her toes into the hot sand. "Are you coming?" The seventeen year old called, eyeing her lackadaisical friend from over her shoulder.

The older girl adjusted her belongings beneath her arms and jerked her head to fix a pair of large sunglasses rolling down her nose. "Kagome-chan, you really need to slow down!" The woman exhaled.

"We only have a few weeks here, Sango-chan!" Kagome exclaimed, raising her arms into the salty breeze. The beach that laid before her was littered with golden bodies and seagulls perched upon the piers. She was lost in the moment and wrapped her arms in the wind, pulling herself into its arms.

It smelled familiar, welcoming, as she indulged in the rushing sound of the water. Sango was far more passive about their vacation, as she'd spent many a summer away from home. She had always talked about it like it was full of magic and hope.

Yet, every move Sango made was methodical, well planned and direct. It was probably due to the abundant amount of baggage and surf board she dragged around. Never the less, Kagome waited impatiently until she caught up with her.

"You made sure that you got that job, right?" Sango asked, trudging towards a heard of shanties. Each one stood crookedly on stilts and rocky platforms. She had stayed at the same old shack for the past few years, and it always stood out from the others.

Kagome absently nodded, finding the walk to be almost excruciating. The bag in her hand was so small in comparision to what her friend had brought, that it made her question her decisions. She just wanted to be settled and not waste a precious second of this trip. "I did. Now I'm just worried I didn't bring enough."

Sango snorted, "I always over pack." She shrugged, heaving the surfboard and luggage at the front door at the house with familiar pastel facade. "Besides, it's not like you can't hop on the train back home for a day or two."

Kagome chewed at her lip, wiggling against the prickly sand. Her eyes inspected the chipped paint and lovingly handmade windows. Sango, on the other hand, merely unlocked the rusty door and pushed her way inside, dumping her belongings on the bare floor.

"It's a bit dusty, and needs cleaning." She said, pulling her hair into a quick ponytail.

Kagome rushed about the living room, as though it had been the inside of a castle. She was so astounded by haphazardly placed furniture and old photos on the walls. It was as though there was no other place in the world. Every warped floorboard seemed to have a story to tell her as her feet splayed across the thinning lacquer.

Sango, out of habit, slid her bag to the small staircase that lead up to the bedrooms. "Come pick out your room, Kagome-chan. You don't want to have to room with a stranger do you?" She winked, darting up the wooden steps with a series of thuds.

Kagome blinked, furrowing her brows as she gripped to the railing. "What do you mean, 'share a room with a stranger'?"

The other girl laughed, catching her breath as she shucked her her things into her favorite of the rooms. It was the one she always chose. It was plain, earthy smelling and had a single bed smack dab in the center of the room. The white walls made it look larger than it was and held a few odds and ends scattered in disarray.

"Rent is expensive here, Kagome-chan. You can't make it with just two people." She said, finding her friend's worried expression to be adorably naive.

"But, what if they turn out to be murderers or something?"

"Kagome..." Sango sighed, sitting down on the creaky bed. Her hands smoothed over the freshly placed floral quilt, and looked down at her feet. "You know that there's probably going to be another person like us. I mean, you're so worried about nothing. I've done this for the past three summers, and I'm still amongst the living."

"Yeah," Kagome pouted, peering at the other rooms from the doorway. "But, you know self defense."

Sango's hands wiped the sweat from her face, and the expression she tried to hide. "Please, please, please." She begged, "You really need to stop this. You were so excited about five minutes ago. If anyone tries to kill you, I'll kill them, okay?"

Kagome scoffed slightly, "I'm going to go get my room, then write my will."

A scowl fell on Sango's face, dragging down her round cheeks. "Thank you for having so much faith in me." She quipped, throwing a sandal at her friend as she scampered away.

Kagome was skiddish when it came to people she didn't know. It may have been her mother's over protectiveness, but she assumed everyone had a trick up their sleeve. It may not have been such a bad thing to be wary of strangers, but she was almost an adult. And being an adult meant having your head on your shoulders and giving up her childhood daydreaming for something more realistic.

This was something she had to learn on her own, wasn't it? As she stood between the two rooms, she flicked them open to inspect the interior. The one on the right was loser to Sango's room, which was only a few feet away.

The one of the left was larger with a spacious block of windows. The ocean rolled, hypnotizing her as she stepped on the bed. The bed, itself, was brass, winding and painfully American. She adored the chipping brass and the plain red blankets. There was another single bed, which she assumed was for overflow. It was diminutive and sat on a bare frame and was naked of sheets.

There was even a vanity and dresser tucked away in the corner. It seemed like it was meant to be a girl's room, whereas the middle room was unisex and only held a bed. Sango didn't care too much about the _extra junk_, as she'd put it. As long as she was away from her troubles, the girl could have cared less about what she did or didn't have.

All she needed was a bed and a pocket mirror. Unlike Kagome, she was a tomboy. Growing up without a mother had really solidified her identity to be one of personality and flare, rather than make up and purses.

Kagome envied that about her, but she kept trying her best to transform her into a beautiful woman. She already was, but a dress and a pair of heels wouldn't hurt. The girl mused, leaving her bag on the bed.

Her friend peeked her head in the door, proudly watching Kagome rushing around the room. "You like this one?"

"I love it! I can see the ocean, and all of the people." The dark headed woman beamed. "I need to go pick up my uniform from the diner before it gets late." Mostly, Kagome was itching to escape the old house and play in the roaring sea. The job was an after thought to what delight the salty air could bring.

Sango nodded at her, waving a hand. "Well, let's go. I saw some good looking guys down there." She winked playfully.

Kagome's skin erupted with a rosy flush. That had been on the back of her mind, as well. She'd never been kissed, never had a real boyfriend. The most that she had done was hold hands with her neighbor's son; And _that_, had been when she was 14 in a school play.

She as about as green as a daisy's stem. Hopefulness crept into her gray eyes, muting the sound of her chastising voice.

It was now or never, right? Closing her eyes, Kagome slapped her palms together. "Chase 'em down." She teased, reopening her eyes to see Sango's cherubic face ablaze with approval. Below Kagome's excitement came a feeling of unprecedented dread. This was something she wasn't sure if she was really ready for, but it was safe to say that she would at least try to not be a prude.

That afternoon was spent meandering around the small town. Kagome picked up her colorful, yet questionable, uniform from the local diner and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Sango was about as sticky and tired from the beaming sun, as the balmy breeze that gripped to her skin like a film.

She didn't care if Kagome was pleased as punch, she was miserably doubting the well being of her skin when the evening rolled in. Her job was the same every year, and all it required was getting up at five A.M. and showing wayward teenagers how to catch a couple of waves.

Kagome had graciously skipped and kicked amongst the foamy edges of the water, leaving Sango to suck back the rest of her oversized soda. There were still a few people hanging around, starting small bonfires and drinking to their hearts content.

Today hadn't been terrible, she thought, kicking off her sandals dig her toes into the sand. A few shells scraped against her skin as she leaned back upon her elbows. This place used to be her secret and being able to share it with her best friend was even more special.

Kagome was like the wind, just as carefree and gentle. She was drowning in innocence as she enjoyed her freedom. Her heart was pulling her to follow the smoke towards the handful of silhouettes in the distance. She wanted to devour her surroundings and Sango did nothing but encourage her.

Yet, as she jealously watched the girls laughing at the men's jokes, she smiled softly and looked back towards Sango upon her perch.

It was almost as though she was waiting for something to happen. Kagome felt badly that she was just blowing off all of their plans to run along the shore. She had all summer to do that, but boy stalking wasn't something she was comfortable with.

By the end of the night, Sango had left for the town's small grocery store. It left Kagome to walk in the dull light back home alone. It was surreal that she was here, lucky enough to spend her time somewhere so beautiful.

However, a queasy rumble in her stomach made her remember that she was _alone_. It was still foreign from the bustle of the city, and left her gripping to her bare arms, checking over her shoulder for anyone that may be following her.

When she made it to the house unscathed, Kagome sighed in relief as she unlocked the creaky old door. The cool air hit her skin, cleansing the heat of the day that still clung to her like fire to kerosene.

Her hair tangled at the drier air and begged to be cleaned. Cautiously, she ran a hand through the mess and made a face at the grains of sand that fell on her fingers. "I'm disgusting." She murmured, placing her uniform on the countertop on her way to the stairs.

On her ascent, Kagome heard a sound that made her blood run cold. Her heart thrummed in her ears, crying for her to turn and run in the other direction. As much as she had whined to Sango about protecting her, there was no one to do it for her.

Quietly, the girl held her breath and slid into Sango's room. It was dark, lit only by the distance sun setting on the horizon. Along the wall, she knelt down, pulling her white dress around her knees.

Her quivering hands found a tennis racket and clutched it like a crux to her breast. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before pushing the door open. Carefully, Kagome peeked around the the hallway, and back over the circular balcony that exposed the living room below.

There was a few articles of clothing tossed around, and it made her furrow her brows. For a moment, she collected her rattling nerves and tiptoed across the warped floorboards to the clinking sound coming from _her _room.

Instinctively, the girl protected her territory. Kagome's adrenaline kicked in, blindly leading her to the cracked door. Before she got the chance to open the door, it was pulled back and she let out a mortified scream.

The tennis racket it in her hands flew forward, striking the person square in the face.

"What the fuck?" A man rasped, covering his bleeding nose.

Kagome gaped at him, dropping the tennis racket onto the floor with a clack. "I'm-I'm sorry, this is my room!" She panted, frantically grabbing the bottom of her dress and kneeling down beside the man.

She'd barely had time to register what she had done. She'd also never struck anyone before and her senses were overloading.

The man rolled, trying to stop his nose from gushing. "I don't care if who's room this is, this bullshit!" He garbled, hissing in his distaste.

Kagome dropped to her knees. "Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!" She cried, moving the boy's hands from his face, she placed her white dress upon his nose.

Fighting, he swatted at her hands, trying not to hurt her. "Get the hell off of me!" He seethed, furrowing his thick brows.

Kagome pressed her lips in a tight line and ignored him. "Let me stop the bleeding, okay?" She said, feeling her dress soak through with the warmth of his blood. It stained the fabric like ink and she delicately blotted it off.

When she pulled back, a blush hit her cheeks as he sat up. "Are you staying here?" Kagome asked, shifting her eyes to the blood stain on her dress.

The man wiped his nose and brushed a hand through his long, black hair. "Yeah, I'm thinking about leaving if there's crazy women going to attack me." He bit, rolling his eyes. "Didn't you know that this is a share space?"

Kagome looked away, trying to cover her face with her hair. He was handsome, even with the bloodied nose. "Yes, I just thought that someone had broken in." She admitted, bringing her lips into an absent pout.

"First time on your own?" He smirked, letting his eyes finally fall on her. A rush of heat gnawed at his sun-kissed skin. She was a pretty thing, he thought to himself.

Kagome nodded slightly, averting her sooty eyes to his. "Yes. I'm sorry for that, but what were you doing in my room?" She asked genuinely.

"I didn't see any of your things in here." He shrugged, pushing himself to his feet.

"I left my bag in here, I guess I should have known to -" She said, gripping to the brass bedframe to gain balance.

"Well, there's two beds in here."

"I-I don't even know you." Kagome blanched.

"Keh. Don't worry, I've gotta girlfriend. I won't touch you, unlike the neighbor." He snorted, killing a little bit of the girl's buzz. "Ito InuYasha, by the way."

InuYasha flashed a quick smile at her that made her stomach knot. "Higurashi Kagome." She bowed, biting her lip.

"Well, it's nice to meet you." InuYasha said, pulling his shirt over his head. "I'm going to try to sleep off this busted nose, so I'll catch you later, Higurashi."

Kagome watched his lanky body breeze across the room. She didn't really feel comfortable with this ordeal, but it was thrust upon her. Why was her luck so terrible? Here was this _beautiful_ man, with a _girlfriend_, that she had just met and he was sharing a room with her.

He probably secretly hated her.

It was obvious that he as irritated. As he pulled the string to turn off the light and climbed his single bed, Kagome remembered the blood on her dress. So much for that perfect summer. Maybe she just needed to grow into herself? Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't turn out as bad as she thought it would.


	2. Long Walks

AN: I'm going to reupload the first chapter. I don't know what happened with the double summaries and spacing. Anyone have issues with FF changing story length and format when uploading?

**To my reviewers: THANK YOU SO MUCH! All of you were so sweet and made me feel like I'm doing an alright job. Yes, there will be angst, but not like it is in **_**Secrets**_**. I promise. This is something that I wanted to do for fun as a break from my other stories, and I'm so glad that you're enjoying it so far!**

**Your feedback means a lot to me and I hope that you like this chapter. I'm always open to suggestions and the likes and dislikes you have. :)**

**Thanks again, love Jiru.**

After a shower with a tiny sand crab and a container of questionable pudding, Kagome laid sprawled out on her bed, eyes magnetically drawn to the whoosh of box fan. It was so loud it erased the lulling tide, and made her wonder why she was so alert.

Sango hadn't come back, and it was starting to bother her. Being alone in this house with _him_ was starting to make her nerves jostle.

Slowly, the rolled over and caught a peek at him sleeping. His hair was like a river consuming the nooks and crannies on his face. He wore a necklace with a tiny knitting of beads, which was caught against his parted mouth.

Kagome blushed when she realized what she was doing. It was just strange to be around someone new. She wasn't grasping the concept that she was staring. He was unusual looking, but handsome. Hell, she'd probably think a snowman was handsome at this point, lonely as she was.

With a sigh, the girl looked to the clock sitting on the vanity. She squinted, realizing at it was well after three in the morning. How had she stayed up that late? And, where was Sango?

Quietly sitting up, Kagome pulled at her pink sleep shorts. The darkness in the room enveloped her as she got up. She glanced out her window at the rolling tide. What if Sango had gone for a swim and drowned? What if she was kidnapped? Or even worse, what if she had met a boy?

The girl grimaced, pattering down the stairs as quietly as she could. InuYasha stirred in his bed, so aware of noise. He was a painfully light sleeper and let out a throaty grunt. He rubbed his sore face and looked at the bed beside his.

Groggily, he got out of bed and shuffled in a daze to the other rooms. When he didn't find Kagome there, he looked at the hellaciously daunting stairs. He was a nimble man, but he sure as hell didn't want to tempt himself by thinking he could _actually _make down there without falling.

Yet, as he heard the door shut, his curiousity overtook him. His large hands gripped to one side of the warped railing, while his feet gingerly crept from stair to stair. He felt like a kid trying to walk for the first time.

This little town was safe, and the worst trouble she'd run into was nothing more than a wrist slap for littering or drinking too much.

"I don't even know why I'm bothering with this," InuYasha scowled, rubbing the sleep from his weary eyes. He thumped heavily on the floor, almost stumbling to the door. Upon opening it, he found the girl leaning against the side of the house, kicking a heap off moss over with her toes.

She snapped her head up at him, trying to rub away the tears clinging to her cheeks. "Sorry if I woke you up." Kagome muttered, sniveling as she strightened up. She was glad he hadn't seen her in a frenzy, calming her panic attack with the soothing night air.

"I can't sleep for shit, anyway." He grumbled, instantly feeling his bare skin grow sticky with the salt and humidity on the wind. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

The girl shrugged, rubbing her bare arm. "I was waiting up for my friend, but she never came back from the store. I'm worried about her." She said, frowning as she looked at the ground - not that she could really see it anyway.

InuYasha, had he been alert, he wouldn't have normally offered up a solution. Considering he had just met the girl, it would be easier to cut the tension with a kind gesture, rather than let her cry herself to sleep. "She's probably fine. Does she have a cell or anything?"

Kagome brought her eyes to his, letting the hazy moon cast it's light over them. "It does, but it doesn't work out here."

InuYasha sighed, reaching into his pajama pocket, pulling out a cigarette. As he placed one in between his teeth, he grinned crookedly. "Well, you can ride my bike and look for her. There's not much open this late, so chances are she's hanging around."

Kagome brushed her hands through her long hair and pulled at it nervously. InuYasha blew smoke from his nose and took the girl in. There was something so childish about her, and he couldn't help but help her.

"Fine," He heaved, catching the softest sadness in her eyes. "Can you sit on the basket?" He asked, pointing at a red bicycle with a busted up metal basket.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Are you not mad at me?"

"You're a five pound girl, what are you supposed to expect?" InuYasha teased, flicking his cigarette into the sand. He manuevered the heap away from the house and plopped on, patting the basket. "I've got my eye on you, though."

Kagome pouted, hesitantly climbing onto the basket. The metal poked into her back and bottom, making her wince as she reclined with her hands on either side. Shakily, InuYasha began to pedal, kicking his foot against the sand.

"Thank you for doing this." His passenger called, as he raised up trying to see around her billowing hair.

"Keh, it's not like I have anything better to do." InuYasha smirked, cutting a sharp corner taking them down the pathway to the other homes and establishments. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"You not going to bite my head off?" The man asked, looking around the shanty town for any lively bodies at the hour.

"Why would I do that?"

"You seem like you could be a bit fiesty." InuYasha said, heading towards the illuminated boardwalk.

Kagome blushed, lowering her head to smile inwardly. "I-I'm not. If I was, do you think I'd be looking for my friend in the middle of the night because I can't stand being with people I don't know?"

InuYasha gaped at her logic, finding a few people polishing off their alcohol and cigarettes. "It's funny that you're riding around in the middle of the night with me. You just met me, you know? I ain't the big bad wolf, Red."

Kagome sighed, "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right. Do you see her up there?" InuYasha pedaled slowly, feeling the arches prick at the soles of his feet. "This is really fucking difficult."

"I don't. Where could she be?" The girl whined, turned her head to see InuYasha's face puckered wtih sweat.

"Well, if she's not here, she could be down at the beach." He rasped, sending a shiver down Kagome's spine. There was something about the way his voice hit her that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Her nerves were starting to get the better of her again, leaving her antsy and so drained that she could barely see straight anymore. "Just take me down there, and if she's not there, I'll go home."

InuYasha nodded and slowed the bike to a full stop and hopped off. Kagome climbed over the basket, rubbing her backside in relief. "It felt like knives were cutting me." She seethed, raising the lower part of her shirt to inspect her back.

The man caught himself staring at her soft skin and snapped himself back to reality. This was inevitably going to become a problem, he scowled. His girlfriend was probably going to be pissed that he was rooming with the precarious girl, but that was life right?

Shit happens you don't expect, so he just made the best of it.

With a huff, he lead her down to the mouth of the bay. The water was high, pulling at the tips of her toes, as if begging her to slip in. She swayed with the rhythym of the sea and relished in its lullaby.

Kagome was exhausted, keeping herself awake by kicking at the washed up shells. InuYasha walked beside her, with his hands tucked away in his pockets and pajamas cuffed about his ankles.

It surprised him that, even in her delirious state, that the girl was tenacious. Part of him wanted to tease her, test her patience, but resolved to talk instead.

He found out about her life in Tokyo, and how her mother as a real estate agent and how her brother, Sota, was the best track runner in his school. It must have been the saltiness of their air that made her so sweet in comparision, but he felt like she needed to be taken care of.

His eyes skimmed over her petite body and noted the way her eyes drifted to the sky, as though mezmerized by the sheer existence of something larger than herself. He envied that. He was the son of a businessman and was expected to make his family proud.

He told her about his life, how he had Heterochromia, a cat, and was a freelance Kendo instructor. She hung on every word, batting those long lashes at him. Absently, he brushed his fingers over his bruised face and smirked to himself.

Kagome had a lot more to her than she let on, or even realized. Idly, InuYasha knelt down and gave her no option to protest him pick her up. The girl squealed, feeling his feet splash the cool water against her legs as he stumbled about.

Part of her had forgotten to look for Sango, and she felt guilty when she realized it. "What are you doing this for?" She gritted playfully, letting her guard down.

InuYasha shot her a look over his shoulder and rocked her back and forth. He figured this was the first time she'd ever been so close to another person, let alone the opposite sex. "Just trying to keep your ass awake." He said plainly, keeping his eyes peeled for the girl Kagome had gone on and on about.

The girl's skin was charred by the blood kissing her skin. She felt clammy and hot against InuYasha and felt all too aware of her own body. She needed to go home, needed to sleep off this betraying guilt that hit her. He wasn't hers, and wasn't interested. This was just kindness on his part, and she needed to be respectful.

She wasn't a home wrecker, for god's sake.

"I really don't think she's out here." Kagome relented, letting her head fall slack against the crook of his neck. InuYasha stiffened as her breath warmed her flesh and sent a chill down to his toes.

Not thinking, he turned his head, barely leaving room between their mouths. For a moment, he mulled over if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. His half lidded eyes loomed over her lips, "I think that we should go home. Sango's probably fine," He swallowed.

Kagome recoiled, feeling rattled by his closeness. "Yeah, I-I really need to... Can you let me down?" She stammered, quivering as she felt her feet plaster against the sand.

InuYasha furrowed his brows, watching her wipe her face of the worry that etched upon her features."You okay?"

Kagome pressed on a smile, "I'm fine. I just need to go to sleep. I have work in the morning. I don't know if I'll be able to make it." She breathed.

InuYasha was about to say something as he heard a woman's cry resound over the crashing waves. He grabbed Kagome's hand, unaware of the electricty that exploded in her fingers. "Come on, Kagome."

The girl felt him jerk her arm, pulling her along as he ran. Laughter overtook the forboding fear that had gripped her. As her heart pounded, defeaning her from the sound of the world around her, Kagome found what she was looking for.

There, in the distance, Sango flailed against a man, pulling her away from the water. Instinctively, the girl shoved away from InuYasha and felt anger - raw anger - bite her emotions.

"Hey! What are you doing to her?" She yelped, not noticing the fact that Sango was laughing.

The man arched a brow at her and grinned. He was much taller than she was, and was a shaggy headed punk. "I said, what are you doing to her?"

Sango cupped her mouth, "Kagome-chan, this is Miroku-sama..." She blushed, trying to straighten herself up. "He and I've spent the past couple of summers together and he's staying with us. I'm sorry I didn't come home. I didn't mean to worry you."

Miroku extended a hand to Kagome and smiled warmly, "I've heard a lot about you. I promised my darling, here, that I would see her again. I didn't mean to cause alarm."

Kagome sucked in a tight, embarrassed breath and lowered her head. "I feel stupid, now. I'm just glad that you aren't dead." She sighed in defeat before looking over her shoulder, seeing InuYasha smoking at his slow pace.

Miroku gaped childishly at InuYasha, pointing at the girl. The older man waved his arm in aggrivation, "Don't start that shit."

"Is there shit to start, though?" Miroku quipped, placing a soft kiss on Sango's cheek. She grinned and elbowed him in the stomach.

"Not here." She gritted through her teeth, "Nice to see you, InuYasha." Sango waved jovially.

"Whatever." InuYasha glowered, stretching as fatigue attacked him. "Now, since this is done, I'm going home and going to try to sleep. Kagome, you need to come with me, because, if you don't go to bed with me, I'll never sleep."

Kagome didn't think much of it as she nodded. Miroku and Sango stood mortified as she picked up her grocery bag. "What's going on here?" The girl questioned, waving an accusing finger at the pair.

Miroku smirked, "Nothing, InuYasha?"

The man rolled his eyes, "It's apparenly her room, so I have to deal, don't I?" He snapped, "You know I can't sleep with noise."

"Whatever you say." He retorted, smoothly.

InuYasha merely grabbed the girl's hand and left the two deviants to make their own conclusions. The walk home was mostly spent in a strenuous silence. Kagome was lost in her own thoughts, trying to keep her eyes away from the man beside her.

When they got home, Kagome bolted up the stairs and threw herself in bed. InuYasha made a pitstop in the kitchen to give her some space and rested his head on the kitchen counter.

Sango and Miroku followed shortly behind, heading upstairs to their separate spaces. It left him alone, thinking about how to resolve this issue. He bit his lip, blankly wondering how someone could go most of their life without closeness.

He was one to talk, only have a handful of experience, but they were experiences none the less. It was painful that someone was that naive when it came to the people around them. Kagome was so innocent, and the fact that he could see it, made him feel bad for even inviting her as close as he did.

A sigh erupted from his mouth and he tapped the counter before heading upstairs. When he crawled into the bed, he just laid there, listening to her breathing. It drove him insane that he couldn't relax long enough to catch the ride to his dreams.

Kikyo would be disappointed that his loyalty could so easily be swayed. "Fu-ck." He moaned quietly, rolling over on his side to avoid seeing the sleeping girl. The morning better bring more than a sleepless hangover and stress.

Room rearranging seemed like it was in order, and needed to be done. The last thing he wanted was for Kagome to end up with a broken heart, even if it was out of her own innocent feelings.

Giving her the wrong idea might kill her.


	3. Calendar Girl

**AN:**

**I wanted to take the time to dedicate this story to my lovely friend, Jennifer. Because without bantering about scenarios and our love of InuYasha, this fic wouldn't have happened.**

**And, thank you to all of my readers and reviewers.**

**rite4fun; I live not too far from a place like this, and I want to live there, too! That would be magical.**

**kittykritik **

**Say0mi Saki**

**kittychic0895**

**ninjamidori **

**InuEared Miko of Darkness**

**and**

**Anon **

**and Jennifer for trying to get FF to work. XD**

**I've been dying to post the next couple of chapters. I hope that you guys enjoy it! Feedback is always appreciated, never expected. **

Calendar Girl

A week had passed by in a blur of smiles and glistening bodies kissed with dewy films. Kagome was getting used to her unease as a waitress. She'd thought it was a good idea to get over her fear of others, and give her a chance to let her personality shine.

However, as her shift ended, she was hiding in the bathroom, shimmying sand out of her shorts. She was still baffled how the granuals found their want into her underwear; especially since there was no sand in the restaurant.

InuYasha had come to see her today and she'd almost vomited when she took him his oysters and noodles. It was embarassing for him to see her dressed like a floozy. As she liked to think, anyway.

Kagome glowered, catching how silly she looked in the mirror. Her fitted tank top was muddied with condiments and batter from the fish frier. Idly, she grabbed a paper towel and began blotting at the green fabric.

She didn't know if it was worse to go home smelling like she rolled around in a fish tank, or if she had to show off her rear in her black shorts. Letting out a sigh, the girl pulled her hair down and combed her fingers through it.

Her eyes looked dull today, and she felt hesitant to go straight home. Sango had encouraged her, and teased her profusely, over being enamored with her room-mate. It wasn't for a lack of trying, on both ends, that had ended up in failure.

Every time InuYasha had slid his bed into Miroku's room, it was always out in the hall by the time he got home. Apparently, "A real man needed his privacy."

Kagome's personal favorite was, "A kept man, like yourself, has no need to worry about entertaining a lady in the privacy of his own room."

It stung a little that no one really saw her as a threat. Kagome frowned, it's not like she would be anyway, but still. She was attractive, right? She'd caught InuYasha catching glimpses of her when he didn't think she was looking. But, she was doing the same thing.

It had taken a few days before she'd paid attention, _really paid attention_, to his Heterochromia. He'd pointed it out when he taught her how to play Poker, cross legged and tired, on her bed.

His left eye was a dark brown, whereas the other was almost amber. They both had tawny flecks that caught whatever light happened to be present. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she inspected herself in the mirror, wishing that her drab gray eyes were as unique as his.

The reflection was familiar, but with a subtle difference that she couldn't quite finger. She brushed her bangs back from her eyes, and really looked at how much she had changed in the past few years. Her face was no longer a circular lump of baby fat. Instead, it was more oval and thin.

To her, staring at herself in the bathroom was no big deal. She looked like a young woman, protruding with potential. On that note, she grabbed her purse and headed out of the shack to the bike InuYasha let her borrow.

She road down the boardwalk, smelling the sun on the wind. Her heart beat thumped, warming her insides comfortably as she enjoyed the afternoon. Sango had made plans to take her to the small city that neighbored the community.

All of the occupants of the house had conflicting schedules, and made it hard to spend time with anyone. She'd barely seen hyde nor hair of Sango the past couple of days. It would be nice to be a girl and talk about all of the interesting things they'd seen and done.

When Kagome zipped through the bustling parcel of buildings, she found her foamy colored home and parked the bicycle. Quickly, she pulled the key from her purse and unlocked the door.

The air conditioning blew the sweat from her brow and made her shiver as she ran up the stairs. She'd gotten used to them now, and no longer huffed and puffed as she ascended. Kagome popped her head in Sango's room to find it empty, as usual. Miroku was napping and her room was all but bare.

InuYasha was sitting with his hands clasped behind his head, watching a movie on his laptop. He seemed so engrossed in the damn thing, that he barely acknowledged the girl falling face first on her bed.

Arching a brow, the boy pulled his headphones off of one ear. "You gonna die?" He asked sarcastically, watching Kagome rub her face on her clean sheets.

She let out a little whine. It had become apparent that he couldn't ignore the certain pitifulness in her voice. Hell, the girl was actually pretty good company, and not bad to look at either.

"I need a shower. I smell like a fish market on Sunday." Kagome said, rubbing a sleepy eye. InuYasha rolled his eyes at her and shucked towel at her.

"Take mine, I'm not that ripe. I'm just salty. I think I'm going to have sand in my ass for a month." He snorted, "I really shouldn't be life guarding, or I'm going to end up dying myself from a heat stroke."

Kagome took the towel and sat up, hiding her lower half behind the bed. Her knees shifted against the floor as though they could talk for her.

"Why are you hiding?" InuYasha furrowed his brows, "I saw what you were wearing earlier today." He shrugged, dually noting how long her legs looked and how pale her skin was.

Kagome blushed, biting the inside of her lip. "Well, thanks. I'm going to go and get cleaned up. Sango and I are going to the city for dinner." She smiled, girlishly toying with the soft fabric.

InuYasha stared at her briefly, "Where are you headed?" It wasn't like it mattered, he inwardly scowled. He just hoped that no one messed with her, like that guy that had given her his number. Of course, she really hadn't realized that '_Call me and I'll take you fishing_' really meant, '_Let me take your obvious virginity._'

The girl pushed herself to her feet and rushed to the door, leaving plenty of opportunities for InuYasha to enjoy his view. She really was a beauty, no matter how unsure of herself she was. "I'm not sure, yet. She just promised me some time with her, seeing as we haven't seen each other for more than five minutes."

InuYasha mouthed 'Oh' and waited until he heard the water sputter on. Jumping up, the man stalked to Miroku's room and shoved the door open on the sleeping man. Nonchalantly, he put his foot on the edge of his creaky mattress and bounced him as forcefully as he could.

"Hey asshole, wake up!" He growled, flicking Miroku on the ear.

The man swatted a hand at his friend and rolled over on his back, "What is it, InuYasha?" He grumbled, rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes.

InuYasha looked over his shoulder and shut the door out of paranoia. He crossed his arms over his chest, playing with the edge of his shirt sleeve. "You know anything about Sango and Kagome leaving?" He asked.

Miroku sat up, reaching for his boxy glasses. "InuYasha, you seem like you're starting to get attached to her. Don't you think you better break it off with Kikyo before you do anything unwise?"

InuYasha harumphed, ignoring his friend's blatant assumptions. "You really need to tell me if you do."

"Sango mentioned it this morning before she left, why?"

"I just don't want Kagome to be overwhelmed." InuYasha said, half honesty was better than none, right? "She just gets, I don't know, emotional if she doesn't know her surroundings. She was pretty sheltered."

Miroku squinted at him, "Are you seriously asking me to tell you where they're going so you can babysit her?"

InuYasha bit his lip, mulling over the accuracy of the question. After a big, fat _yes_ exploded in his brain, he nodded. "Kind of, yeah."

Miroku pinched the bridge of his nose, and forced himself out of bed. "You're going to cause a lot of problems, I can already tell you. You're turning out to be quite the fox, aren't you?"

A scoff kicked the back of InuYasha's throat. "You make it sound like I'm gonna do something to her."

"Well, in a way, you are, InuYasha." Miroku said, pulling on a pair of fitted jeans. "You really need to think about the messages you have, are, and will be sending her."

"You're being pretty sagic, ne?"_ Wait, is that even a word_? He asked himself, shaking his head back to reality. Miroku would know what he meant.

"It comes with the package, my friend. It comes with the package..." Miroku sighed, pulling a dark wash t-shirt over his head. "Besides, don't you think that Sango is enough company, or does it bother you that much that she won't be here? _Or_, you'll have time to consider your developing feelings?"

InuYasha's face fell slack, "Are you a doctor? Is this something that happened overnight? 'Cause, I don't remember you being so knowledgable about things - other than how to properly take off a pair of panties."

Miroku breezed across the room and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know that you have good intentions, but she won't become a woman without the bitter that comes with the sweet." He paused for a moment, really thinking about what he wanted to say. "And, _you,_ will end up getting hurt, too."

With that, Miroku left InuYasha with a pat on the arm and a prayer. InuYasha merely glowered and pulled at his long hair. "You've got to be kidding me." He rumbled, seeing Sango barge into her room as he went back to his.

"Hey, InuYasha." She said, slamming her door before he could respond.

"Dirty snake." He seethed beneath his breath.

"I heard that, you cocky son of a bitch." Sango retorted, plopping down on her bed. She laid there long enough to re-energize and peel off her wetsuit. She was sticky, and grabbed her clothes to take her shower.

It wasn't long before Sango banished InuYasha to the downstairs floor along with Miroku. The girls washed, dried, and dressed themselves as they seemed fit. Kagome was more excited than Sango had ever seen her. It was mostly because she'd talked her into wearing a dress.

It was almost unnatural, and she picked and pulled at the bottom of the skirt. Kagome was proud of the change. She reassured her friend, zipping up the back of a pink, floral sundress. Sango was appalled by the mascara and clumpy eyeliner around her eyes, and she sighed in defeat.

"Is it okay if Miroku comes?" She blurted out, not thinking about the reprocussions. It hadn't been intentionally hurtful, but it was obvious that Kagome was upset. But, it gave her the prospect of sneaking InuYasha along with them.

Recoiling her hands, she washed away the distress in her eyes and formulated a smile out of the elements. "Yeah, that's fine, Sango-chan. So, I haven't really been able to talk to you lately, but you really like him, don't you?"

A blush tinted her friend's skin and it made her lips quirk involuntarily. "If he wasn't such a womanizer, I think I'd marry him. I've been playing hard to get, not hard enough, but still..." She chuckled, seeing Kagome's face light up with a serendipitous delight.

"I wish you would have told me this is why you came back here." Her hands clenched together, finding the romanticism to be almost overwhelming.

Sango shrugged slightly, slipping on a pair of beige wedges. Kagome had sworn they were comfortable, and she believed her. _Stupidly. _

"I don't know, though. This place is special to me, anyway. Mama used to bring me and Kohaku here, and I want to be closer to her."

Kagome understood, and wrapped her thin arms around Sango's toned shoulders. "Maybe you should move here after you're schooling is done."

"Kagome-chan, I don't think I'm going back. I'm happier here than I am in Tokyo, and I'd rather live in the sun than a shadow, you know?" Sango's dark eyes pierced her, cutting into her very center. "I wish you wouldn't be so timid all the time."

The girl agreed to an extent, but let the words roll off of her as though they hadn't been spoken. Change was terrifying. _This_ was terrifying.

"I'm doing well at my job, that's a start, right?" Kagome quipped, smoothing her hands over her doll-like dress. It wasn't fancy, but it was thin and cool. It suited her fairness, and let her breathe beneath the fabric.

"Seems like you're handling rooming with a _man_, alright." The girl snorted quietly, she amused herself more often than not. She was twenty, she really didn't need to be so hysterical about something so trivial.

Yet, when Kagome turned as red as her shoes, she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, come on Kagome..." She teased, turning to grip her shoulders. "It's okay to have a crush. You don't have to be so afraid. They hurt, but it's not like you love the guy or anything. He's just someone to talk to and to hang out with. I know you're over analyzing this."

Kagome batted her eyes and tried her best to not say too much about the situation. She really didn't know how she felt. She didn't have any experience in the area, so all of her emotions pointed towards a feeling she couldn't express.

"InuYasha's been really good to me. He comes to see me at work, and he makes sure that no one bothers me." The girl said, toying with her curled hair.

Sango raised her brows, "Oh? I didn't know that he was marking his territory."

Kagome glowered in response. "He has a girlfriend, Sango-chan. It's not like I'm even a blip on the radar. I may as well, have a...have a... you know." She pointed at her crotch and shifted from foot to foot.

Sango gaped her mouth in disbelief. "You are not twelve," A laugh erupted from her mouth, making Kagome feel minute and lame. When she calmed down, the woman took her friend by the hand and lead her down the treacherous stairway.

It was almost painful to see InuYasha and Miroku sitting on the couch. Kagome could barely understand why Sango was making such a big deal out of nothing. Being a fly on the wall was much more pleasant than flying over food.

The men of the house were reading some of the ladies magazines, which had been discarded on the couch with ice cream spoons. "Did you know that you would look good with some red hi-lites? I think it'd really bring the blue in your eyes." InuYasha said casually, pointing to an actress that had a similiar haircut to Miroku's.

They both scrutinized the picture with open mouths. "You know, that wouldn't look that bad." Miroku agreed, pulling his glasses away from his face. "It'd make me look like I had cheek bones."

"Yeah, you'd probably be able to attract a gold digger with those." InuYasha chided, looking over at where girlish laughter had blossomed.

"Do you mind? We're trying to make Miroku look like a human being."

"Very funny, InuYasha." Sango laughed sardonically. Kagome held her mouth with both hands, trying to keep her bemused grin to herself. InuYasha caught sight of her and felt his skin burn the moment their eyes met.

She loved the way he looked at her. It made her feel attractive, and made her heart flutter like the seagulls buzzing around their home. Miroku was flabbergasted by Sango's state and aptly threw out a few compliments; every one made her blush.

It was like that the entire way to the city, too. Miroku was hanging onto every word Sango said, and watched her body move beneath the fitted fabic. InuYasha and Kagome merely walked behind them, trying to cool themselves in their wake.

He snuck glances of her when she wasn't looking and felt like he was defiling her. She looked delicate, overly soft in that pale, lacy dress. His hand _accidentally_ brushed hers, sending rivulets of warmth through him.

Kagome flashed a frightened glance at him, her eyes wide with bewilderment. "Is something wrong?" She asked, catching him build his gruff facade. His eyes, no matter how different, struck her dumb. The awkwardness of her sexuality and prowess was almost murderous.

InuYasha was surprised at how easily she was getting under his skin. "Um, no. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"That's okay." The girl grinned, placing a hand on his upper arm without thinking. She quickly tucked it back to her side, leaving a charring heat in the places she'd touched. "The only thing I'm sorry for is that I wore these stupid shoes." She groaned, watching her friend's flowing, auburn hair flutter in front of her.

"If they don't hurry up and pick somewhere to eat, I'll just throw you over my shoulder and we'll go find a place." InuYasha griped, lighting a cigarette. Kagome shook her head at him, becoming accustomed to his brutish way of handling things.

By the time they made it to the hole in the wall Sango was looking for, Kagome felt as if she was going to die. Her feet were killing her and the dusk had settled over the horizon, dusting the city beneath its ashy blanket.

Miroku was relieved and ran to the door, covered from the inside by black fabric. It was small, gawdy and had a few tables strewn about in disarray. It seemed as though Sango had loved this place in particular, and made the effort to drag hell and everyone in it, to this place.

Once she picked out a table, she hunkered down awkwardly. Miroku sat beside her, leaving InuYasha and Kagome to sit alongside one another. Kagome had made sure to press herself into the window seat, and feel the security of having a wall holding her in.

The warped wooden table was losing its lacquer, but was quaint enough to be recalled in her memories. InuYasha propped his elbows on the table, sharing a mottled menu with Miroku. Sango, on the other hand, was ecstatically grabbing at her friend. "This is my favorite place ever."

Kagome smiled. She was about to say something when a tall, short haired man came to the table. Instantly, he spread a wide grin upon his face. InuYasha shot him a disapproving look, as he seemed to do more often than not.

"House special is Kirin draft, anyone interested?" The young man asked, nervously holding his tablet. Kagome knew that feeling and lit up and ordered a soda, wondering if it was this kid's first night on his own.

He looked at her with a blush on his cheeks and smiled at her for a second too long. Sango wanted to giggle, but refrained in the tension that built at the table. "I'll have the draft." She diffused, shucking her ID, with her overly wide smile and crazed eyes, at the boy.

InuYasha arched a brow and opted against the offerings of alcohol. Miroku, the saint, figured if his lady friend was going to have some, why not?

The boy jotted down the orders and kept his eyes trained on Kagome. He stammered as he read the order back and the girl let out a sigh. Reaching over, her chest rested infront of InuYasha's face, making him hold his breath as she placed a gentle hand on the waiter's wrist.

"It's okay, I just started waiting, too. No one's going to bite you." Bold words for such a nervous girl.

Sango looked away from the trainwreck and hissed between her teeth.

The waiter rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Oh, thank you. I really needed that. My name's Hojo, if you need anything."

Kagome recoiled her hand, eyes never leaving his. He seemed a bit calmer and she resumed her conversation with Sango. InuYasha fought the urge trip the kid, but was shot a nasty look from the man across from him.

"Well, I'll say that this is going to be a good night." He purred.

"I don't know why I'm here." InuYasha sighed.

"Because you whined like a little girl when I asked Miroku if he wanted to come. I didn't invite you." Sango interjected, rolling her eyes.

"It's not my fault you bought crappy food."

"InuYasha, that was _my_ food. You never bought your own."

"Since when as that ever mattered?"

"This is why I broke your nose last summer."

Miroku pressed his mouth into a tight, bemused line and looked at Kagome's mortified face. "Don't worry, Miss Kagome, he'll never be _that_ mean to you."

The girl bobbed her head in response, as Hojo came back with the drinks. A few dirty glares were exchanged and things were mumbled under steamy breaths, as the poor boy took their orders. When it came to Kagome's turn, he cleared his throat, trying his very best to look as dignified as possible.

"I-I just wanted to say that you are very pretty and I mean no disrespect to your boyfriend, I-I j-just wanted to tell you that." Everyone at the table was left speechless. Between the obvious irritation in InuYasha's face, to the astonished delight on Miroku and Sango's faces, Kagome was torn into.

No one had ever really complimented her before. It made her cheeks swell with color. "T-thank you, Hojo-kun. And, I don't have a boyfriend." She said, brushing her hair behind her ear.

A proud expression fell upon his face as he grinned, "Oh? I thought that he was... I'm sorry if I caused any embarassment." He stammered, waving a hand at the occupants of the table.

InuYasha was catatonic. He wasn't sure if he could even think. To him, this seemingly innocent Hojo-kid was just as bad as the scruffy riff-raff that were after her at the diner. If he decked the guy, not only would that make the girl cry, but probably also get him carted to jail.

Miroku read his friend's face with a smug smile. He knew that it was driving him mad, and just enjoyed how simplistic InuYasha's emotions really were. Hojo and Kagome carried on a small conversation before she finally told him she wanted a fucking salad.

The moment he left, InuYasha excused himself, leaving the three of them sitting in silence. Sango looked as though she wanted to rub it in Kagome's face that what she'd thought was dead wrong, but instead, she chugged her pint of Kirin.

"Shouldn't someone see if he's okay?" Kagome asked.

Miroku shook his head and stole a sip of his unattended slushy. "He'll get over it."

"I don't even know why he left."

"This is probably going to happen a lot more, so you may as well brace yourself." The man said. Gritting his teeth, he leaned towards Sango. "This is how it always starts."

Kagome sighed and felt her stomach know when Hojo came back with their food. He handed her a folded piece of paper with his phone number and address. "If you ever want to go do something, you can call me. Um, I'd really like to take you out some time." He said quietly, trying to act suave.

The girl felt like exploding. This was a first and she would always remember it. Of course she was going to accept his offer. This was like a miracle, or something. She blinked at the piece of paper and nodded. "That would be really nice." She said.

As he walked a way, Sango made sure he was gone before she gripped to the girl's hands and let out a squeal. Miroku flittered about, congratulating the girl. Inside, he felt the tumult of the the complications that were sure to arise.

He only hoped that InuYasha wouldn't be stupid enough to ruin this for the poor girl. After all, he was still involved with someone, so he had no room to pass judgement or scrutinize her for having a life of her own.

Jealousy and desires were what made growing up just that. Life would be boring without a good chase, after all. That logic seemed to blur the black and white into a sooty gray.


	4. Poker Face

**AN:**

**I was DYING to post this chapter. This is my favorite and I hope that you guys are enjoying this story so far. I'm going to be responding to your reviews this evening! **

**Let me know what you guys are thinking! **

**love Jiru.**

Poker Face

Fondness wasn't the exact word for how he felt when he found out about Kagome's suitor. If he had had much sense, the kid would have gotten the hint that she wasn't available. InuYasha had never grasped how he felt, let alone how to handle someone else's feelings.

Kikyo had put up with his faults like a champion, and continued on her pathway with much chagrin. It was just _different_. He laid awake that entire night devising a way to get her to decline Hojo's offer, but it wasn't fair.

That logic had bled into his brain, from the countless times Miroku privately berated him. Kagome had been so exuberant, that he didn't want to burst her bubble, but that night was hell. He tossed and turned, having been forced to stay in the same room with her.

She wanted to talk about it, and he'd listened. Halfheartedly, but he still had paid enough attention to tell that it would have killed her to have been a smartass. That alone was exceptionally difficult to avoid.

Biting her head off seemed far more appealing than letting _her first date_ happen. InuYasha was partial to her and didn't want to see someone take advantage of that tenderness. She wasn't like most of the women that hung around the area.

Her first experiences needed to be meaningful. Not just for her, but for the person she was sharing them with; _not that Hojo kid_.

InuYasha had spent so much time dwelling on how dreadful it was, that if anyone had been in the water, they're probably already drowned. Being a hawk was pretty difficult when you had a lot on your mind.

Normally, he just sat beneath his swank umbrella, sipping on tea, flipping through magazines. Sango was always making obscene gestures at him from _her _corner of the beach, where she taught her patrons how to half-ass surf.

He didn't understand how she and Kagome found balance in their friendship, but they did. His pride kept him from even remotely saying anything to the girl. Part of him felt disgusted with himself because Kagome was so young. He wasn't _much_ older, but he shouldn't have even thought about her like that.

Hell, he didn't even know how he felt about his girlfriend anymore. Ever time he spoke to her, she seemed bored, almost apathetic about his absence. He'd been with her for about four years, and it was starting to wear on him.

Maybe it was the sun beating him into a burnt pulp, or the salt sticking to his face, but he felt bedraggled. The air was particularly humid, slithering its hands down his skin like a slug. He just felt gross, for a lack of a better word.

"What is my life coming to?" The man rasped, resting his head in his hand. He was pretty sure that he was going to have a lot of regret, whether the kind he'd always remember, or want to forget. "I'm worrying about a teenager's love life..." He mumbled to himself, looking across the blinding sand for something interesting to watch.

He always kind of hoped he could blow his whistle. It was empowering. Days that he got to whip out the megaphone were extra awesome. Alas, this day was just one, large flatline. That was until he squinted, catching sight of Kagome riding his bike.

InuYasha wanted to wave at her, but felt that he already looked stupid enough with his _cool_ floppy hat to keep his face from burning. But when she saw him, she waved at him. _She waved at __**him**__. _

It made his heart batter his ribcage with its violence. Why was she doing this to him? How did Kagome have the power to absolve his very essence. She just had to look at him and he was lost. Denying these flustered, boyish feelings made him justify his strength.

InuYasha enjoyed her work clothes, and acknowledged them on her as she rode along the shore. She always seemed so ethereal, and in his simple mind, he wasn't sure how something to nacreaous could exist. It didn't matter if she was covered in fishy bits and ketchup.

Alas, he knew when she got home she was getting ready for her date. Sango wasn't exactly the right person to teach her the P's and Q's. That girl covorted around with Miroku so often, it was astounding.

Looking down, he was thankful to see his replacement. She was tiny. InuYasha barely knew how Kanna could pull anyone away from anything. You could always smell her coming. Beneath the layer and layers of sunscreen, he wondered if she _actually _was as white.

The girl's ashy hair tousled about her shoulders. He aptly climbed down, shoving the whistle into the front of his swim trunks and replaced her magazines beneath the folding chair. It was amazing how much he learned about hair, sex, and what men wanted.

_And it was always sex. _

InuYasha was in a rush as he skidded through the sand. He didn't take the time to stop and embarass Sango, as he normally did. Miroku was probably still at the bicycle shop, watching movies and eating ice cream - instead of working.

The short walk home felt like it took years to complete. InuYasha was in a tizzy when finally made it upstairs and found a clean Kagome, damp and wearing one of _his _shirts. A blush settled on his cheeks, and absorbed the dress-like cloth.

"You stealing my clothes, now?" He smirked, pulling his hair out of its ponytail.

Kagome blushed and snapped her head up from her lotion bottle. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't have anything clean, I just grabbed it off the line." She said softly, "I didn't mean-"

"You're fine." He interrupted, plopping on the bed beside her. The difference in his weight pulled her body a bit closer, but he refrained from touching her. "So, you getting ready for your _big date_?"

Kagome smiled at her feet for a moment, "Yeah, I'm really excited..." Her voice sounded uncertain and it made InuYasha's brows twitch. He had a good poker face, but it wasn't professional.

When she raised those dewy eyes to his, she turned her head, looking him dead in the face. It took all he had, every last quivering inch of it, to remain still. "...but, I'm so nervous I don't know if I can do it."

InuYasha had it in the bag. Relief was understated to what he felt, "Well, you know you don't _have _to go. You could call him up and reschedule, or cancel..." That last part had been almost inaudible.

The girl ran a hand through her mussed hair and watched InuYasha's face contort under her scrutiny. "He's so sweet. Hojo came by my job today on his way to his parents shop at the end of the boardwalk." She shrugged, not realizing how badly the man wanted to punch something.

Placing a clammy hand over his mouth, InuYasha smiled maliciously. "Oh? He knows where you work? That must have been a nice surprise."

Kagome nodded, "He was just ordering some lunch and he saw me getting pestered by this paramedic that comes in a lot."

InuYasha made a mental note to burn down the restaurant. "What the hell was that guy doing?"

The girl furrowed her brows and pulled back the sleeve, exposing finger prints on her elbow. InuYasha was pissed. He grabbed her wrist gently, raising her arms so he could get a better look. "Did Hojo do this?"

"No," Kagome frowned, "Hojo-kun took care of the guy that did this for me." She said, "I was trying to leave the paramedic's table and he grabbed me. I didn't want to make a big deal of it, but Hojo came and started talking to me."

InuYasha wanted to roll over and die. Seriously? This kid was like a valiant knight, shining armor and all the works? A sigh escaped him and he sucked up his pride and wrapped an arm around the girl. "Well, at least you're okay."

Kagome startled. She felt her entire body quake and her skin burst with rubious color. InuYasha was the first person that held her, and as seemingly innocent as it was. He had barely realized what he'd done.

Neither of them moved, letting themselves sit in the silence that followed. Kagome wanted to shift closer, everything inside of her wanted to bridge that gap. InuYasha, on the other hand, chewed at his lip, more than aware of the way the girl's breathing became impulsive.

She felt like static beneath his fingers. He wanted to run his hand up and down her arm, soothing her and relented to doing so. This exploration wasn't quite an excavation, but held as many valuables as if it had been.

Kagome vigorously fought her own hormones and tried to make sense of all the signals stemming from her stomach. It had been something so passive, and was only a fleeting moment, but held so much importance. InuYasha was slowly collecting her firsts, and treating them with some sort of care.

It may have been the heat from the day, or the way the water sang in the back ground, but the girl found herself leaning into him. She relished the way he smelled, and inhaled the sea and salt that lingered on his skin. It was like being magnetic, and finding out you were the positive, not the negative.

Raising her head, she glanced at InuYasha trying to remain taut. Her thin hand shook on its ascent, brushing gently against the black current on his cheek. The man clenched his jaw, finding it hard to ignore the gravitation.

The charge in that small room was smothering, and they felt the urgency and tried not to succumb to the thrust. He was just a man. A poor, sniveling man. Doing the right thing would have been smart, but he chose his tried and true blind path.

A calloused hand jutted out to grip Kagome's cheek. A surprised sound elicited from her lips as she tried to read the intensity in his eyes. When she couldn't, she furrowed her brows, trying hold in her breath.

InuYasha bit his lip and descended upon her. He captured her mouth softly, sending volts of energy between them. Kagome unraveled, painfully returning the gesture in a green manner. The man held her side with his free hand, not letting it roam. Everywhere they touched was electric, submerged in this bath of numbness that the girl couldn't comprehend.

Her hands weaved into his hair, pulling at the soft, black strands. InuYasha panted against her mouth, nipping at her lip. This was unbearable. He wanted her, but it wasn't something he could do to her. So easily, he could have every bit of her, but he refrained for her sake.

Violently, he pushed her back with the vigor of his kiss, inhaling her breath. Kagome shuddered against him, pulling him closer. She craved his closeness and wanted to feel the presidence of this moment. It was the only kiss she had ever had, and it was bittersweet and draining.

Part of her felt like dying, and the other wanted to turn away in embarassment. She did neither. She merely existed, feeling his heart beating in the places they were connected. It felt like hours, but it ended too soon when a slamming door ripped them from their high.

Kagome covered her mouth and looked down at her bare feet as though she was going to be sick. InuYasha breathed, running a hand through his hair. "I-I need to get ready." The girl trembled about as much as her voice.

The man nodded at her, feeling a resounding sense of discordance. He needed to wash away the disgust he had on his body. Kagome as probably never going to speak to him again, he glowered miserably as Sango huffed at the door.

"Wh-ere's Kagome?" She panted, holding her chest. Her wetsuit was dripping on the floor and InuYasha could barey focus on much else. The woman furrowed her brows and snapped her fingers. "Hey, InuYasha, where's Kagome?"

The man shook his head in a daze, pushing himself up and out the door. Sango turned and watched him scamper down the stairs. Confusion gripped her as she went into her room to find Kagome, standing blankly in front of the window.

Arching a brow, Sango shut the door, "What's going on, Kagome?"

The girl was conflicted. Should she share what had transpired? Or should she just keep it to herself like a secret? She didn't want to cause problems for InuYasha, but she wanted to explode with the emotions she was suppressing.

For a moment, she was silent, watching Sango flail her arms. "How did you feel when you first kissed Miroku?" She asked, raising her gray eyes to her friend. "It's no secret that you're head over heels in love with him. InuYasha told me about how you two constantly talk and visit each other. Which, by the way, you shouldn't have kept from me. I would have been happy for you."

Sango rolled her eyes, peeling off the vice grip the wetsuit had on her. "It was like being struck by lightning. I tingled, and I wanted to do nothing but eat his face for like a month."

Kagome laughed, running her fingers over her lips, still feeling the sting of InuYasha's mouth.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Is that the first time you felt like that?"

"Honestly?" Sango said, pulling a plain t-shirt over her head. When Kagome nodded, Sango smiled. "Aside from the first kiss I ever had, yes. That first one is always the best, no matter how bad it is."

Those words haunted her the rest of the night. She hadn't seen InuYasha since they were in their bedroom and she let out a sigh. It had been involuntary, but the boy beside her had proved to be boring. Hojo was sweet, very much so. There was just something so dull about him, that she wondered if this was how all dates were.

He took her to dinner at a nice little shack, got her an ice cream, and played a less than strenuous game of volleyball with her. All that boiled down to this one, defining moment. After her kiss with InuYasha, her thoughts had been painted with the image of that singular occurance.

When she thought about Hojo stealing kisses from her, or even placing one on her cheek, she became frazzled. Were they all like that? And, as they stood on the boardwalk, he reached out and held her hands, thumbing her knuckes softy.

He was so nervous, she could feel it in his hands. A small smile picked up the corners of Kagome's lips. "Thank you, Hojo-kun." She said, watching the expression on his face ease.

"I had a really good time, Kagome." He beamed, trying to keep his emotions in check. Without hesitation, he placed a kiss upon her cheek.

It made her stomach knot, and she had boldly stood on her tiptoes to give him a real kiss. When he returned it, she didn't feel the unrelenting spark causing her body to convulse with want. Instead, it was like lighting a match, only to have it go out.

There was something missing, not that she really knew for sure, but knew well enough.

"Eat him up, Tiger!"

Kagome turned around to see where they throaty, feminine voice had came from. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw a tall, leggy woman leaning against the wall of the restaurant they worked at.

It was Kagura, smoking her cigarette, excitedly watching the view.

Hojo cleared his throat and let go of Kagome's hand to rub the back of his head. "I had a good time, like I said. We should do it again." He smiled, eyening the made up woman watching. He was never good with an audience.

Kagome nodded, licking her lips absently. "Yeah." She whispered, watching him wave as he became a silhouette in the low lamp light. The smile didn't reach her eyes as she turned around, seeing her co-worker bemused as she stamped out her butt.

"Looks like you've gottem everywhere." Kagura chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "You know that _whatshisface_ came by a little while ago."

Kagome made a peculiar face at her, "...did he eat?" She asked dumbly, assuming that that's what you did when you went to a diner. And, as much as InuYasha consumed, it wouldn't have been a surprise if he spent most of his money on food and food byproducts.

Kagura rolled her dark eyes and let out a sigh. "You've got that boy wrapped around your finger. And it looks like _that one,_ too." She gestured with her shoulder at Hojo's faint figure.

The girl shook her head, trying to expunge the notion that InuYasha wanted her. That kiss had been accidental, she justified, fighting every urge to think about it again. "No, you know how much he eats."

Kagura wiped her palm against her face, "Yeah, I do." She murmured. How could that girl be so stupid? They were_ both _idiots. "He was drinking at the bar, actually. I'm pretty sure he was skulking because you were out on that date." She smirked, winking at the girl as she went back inside of the glass door, bells ringing behind her.

Kagome finally felt aggitated. A heaving grunt erupted from her mouth, so annoyed with all of this assumptions. Whatever InuYasha and Kagome _did _have, was germinal at best. It almost made want to hit something.

She wanted one moment where no one talked about them. She never got angry, but it was almost too much. Defensively, she would have cried, but kept her eyes from pouring out like an overflowing rain-catcher.

Kagome kicked rocks down the rickety walkway and looked towards the pier in the distance. The water was dancing around the legs, swallowing all of the mossy growth and rope as the high tide collected on the shoreline.

The more she'd thought about it, the more she'd realized she'd not spent more than a few minutes on the beach. Being alone, something that she feared so profusely, was something she needed.

Heading down the sandy banks, past the cat-tails, and wisping grass, her shoes filled to the brim with granuals as she slipped them off. A few people passed by, dragging driftwood for their bonfire and she watched them idly.

The wind, it brushed the heat from her skin, and consumed her with its warm breath. Kagome didn't understand what all of these feelings were. It was difficult for a girl that was so sheltered, and so withdrawn, to make a puzzle out of the pieces.

As she made it to the slick pier, she walked down to the very end and plopped down with her legs dangling over the side. Another woman sat in the same position, back to back. Kagome had prefered to have been alone, but this was alright.

It had become to hard to contain the reality that had shellshocked her. Placing her hands on her face, the girl fought against herself and cried. _Really _cried. All of those rampant emotions were strangling her and all she could do was expose them to the sea.

The dark headed woman behind her, looked over her shoulder, with her dark eyes softening in empathy. Every girl has been there. She wasn't exactly which destination brought her here, but escaping was always healthy for a moment.

"Hey, are you alright?" The woman said deeply. Her pallid hand gingerly touched Kagome's shoulder, making the girl stiffen and wipe her nose.

"I-ah-I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I can leave." Kagome sniveled, rubbing away the last of her bleeding mascara. The woman waved her hand and turned completely around to face her.

"Sit back down, you're not bothering anyone but yourself. I just got done, myself." She smiled awkwardly.

Kagome brushed a hand through her hair and inspected the woman. She was a little older, maybe in her twenties, and had porcelain skin. She was beautiful, soft graceful looking. She appeared to have no reason to be upset.

"Are you okay?" She asked, reaching into her purse for a piece of hard candy.

Kagome nodded and smiled crookedly. "I feel so stupid for evening being upset." She coughed and crossed her legs, letting the ocean's waves sing to her. "I should be happy people like me and want to be with me."

The woman nodded, rubbing her bare arms to shake off the chill. "I'm pretty sure that I cause most of them to run away. I wish I could have had the oppotunity to really understand other people."

"I do and it's awful. Everyone thinks I'm stupid, or something." Kagome sighed.

"Ignorance is a blissful thing, I've heard. I wouldn't let other people ruin your spirit. All it got me was a cat and a bottle of anti-depressants." The woman laughed sarcastically. "I came down here hoping that I could fix something that was broken, and I can't. That's life, though."

"You have someone here?" Kagome asked quietly, reaching into her bag for a hankerchief.

The woman paused and looked at the water as though it could speak for her. "I _did_. There comes a time that everyone needs to move on." She shrugged her lean shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I've never had anyone of my own, so I don't know what it's like to go through that, and I think that it would be unimaginable." Kagome said honestly, receiving a soft smile from the lady beside her.

"It can't be helped. It was just time. It does hurt," She batted her lashes, trying to make her tears wait just a moment longer before falling. "It _will _hurt, but when two people are suffering, you need to let go and let them experience what you can no longer provide."

Kagome chewed at her lip, watching this mellifluous creature spill her heart into the balmy air. This was the most honest conversation she had ever had, with _anyone_. It was almost surreal how it began, and it was comforting in a way.

"Do you still love him?"

"I always will. Being in love for the first time is the most wonderful and dreadful thing all that same time. You bask in and let it define you..." Her long arms swayed romantically, interpretting her point through her gliding movements. "...and if you let that happen, you'll be terrified to lose it. Love is as delicate as it is strong. You don't look for it, that's the biggest mistake."

"I want it so badly that I don't know what to do. Everyone else my age has experienced so much and I just, _today_, had my first kiss, my first hug, my first date. I just want to know what that feeling is like." Kagome swelled, bringing her hands to her chest, begging for anyone to listen to her plea.

"I was the same way. I wanted it more than _anything_. When I found it, I lost it just as easily as it came. We are just human, and our lives aren't perfect. There's sadness, happiness, feelings in between..." She continued, her eyes catching the last flickers of sunlight, making them harmoniously shine. "The one thing that you can never do is _regret._ Things that have happened can't be erased, you just grow and move towards finding peace, then move on."

Those ghostly eyes showered Kagome with a warm honesty. The girl handed her a Hello Kitty Kleenex from her bag and heard her laugh. "How can anyone be sad blowing their nose with something so cute?" She chided, cleaning herself up.

"What's your name, ma'am?" Kagome asked, doe eyed and aching for her.

As she stood on her long legs, she smiled down at her, moving her long hair from her face.

"Kikyo." She murmured softly, just as ambrosial as her voice. "You seem like a sweet girl, and I hope that you find what you're looking for. Any man would be a fool to say no to you."


	5. Conflicting Ideas

**AN:**

**ItaBleu; Thank you for your suggestions. I do get excited when I write and I have a Beta now. So, that will be helpful with my weak points. The only thing I didn't quite understand was, '**_making it a challenge to get it out there_**.' **

**And I took no offense. It's always helpful to have a push to do better. :)**

**kittychi0895; Yep. Ending that early was the best thing they could do. ;)**

**ninjamidori: Thank you, as always. Girl, I'm updating Secrets tonight.**

**Warm-Amber92 - Thank you so much. There's a bunch of fun dialogue between them in this chapter, too. I adore writing for Miroku. **

**rite4fun; I'm sure you'll enjoy the ending of this.**

**Say0mi Saki; I appreciate that so much. I'm glad that it helps to read this. It's helping me vent a lot of my frustrations, too. This Kagome is very personal for me, and I really enjoy writing for her. It's making me excited for summer too! (Except Southeast Texas Summer is brutal _ Haha.)**

**Happy reading and thank you, everyone! And special thanks to Jennifer, for putting up with my middle of the night ranting and questions.**

**love Jiru.**

Conflicting Ideas.

A daunting green light flashed in the darkness, reminding InuYasha that it was well after midnight and he was alone. For the first time, it brutally cut into him. Kagome never came home that night. Drunkingly, he gripped to his pillow, staring at the emptiness in the room.

If he had ever _needed_ someone, it would have been safe to say it was now. Graciously, Kikyo had come to speak to him, on his request, succumbing to what they knew to be inevitable. It was good to see her, to hold her one last time, but they needed to move forward with their differential lives. Before he left home, he knew that she was about ready to throw in the towel.

Kikyo was at a different place, a little older... She had finished school and was looking for a job elsewhere in the country. He didn't blame her, but the wound was still infected and he washed it away with about ten shots of whiskey and a dacquri, just because he liked them.

It only made matters worse that his room-mate was gone. Hell, Miroku and Sango had traded the serenity of the shanty for the bustle and bursting lights of suburbian bars. It felt like he was always alone in this house. If he had been a _weaker_ person, he probably would have allowed himself to cry and be done with this cinderblock on his chest.

It was still maddening to feel the stagnance writhing in his and Kagome's room. He wiped his face and sat up. The sloshing in his stomach indicated that he needed more in him that the various brews and made a sour face.

The fan licked his skin, making him feel like an urchin. InuYasha pulled his hair back, wishing that it could make him alert. Kagome was probably still out with that cretin. There would be no other reason that she wasn't safe in the bed beside his.

He felt guilty for even touching her. Right now, he felt kind of debonair for stealing her first kiss and making it something she would remember. But what kind of asshole did it make him? With a sigh, he hiccuped and imagined every possible scenario where Kagome ended up naked beneath that Hojo kid.

That was the worst part. She may have been being used, or crying beneath him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He already felt like a prick, why not ad insult to injury? Absently, InuYasha aceeded to his clouded vision and grabbed the blinking clock, shucking it against the wall.

Satisfaction made his hair stand on end and his teeth itch. He needed fresher air to breathe, needed to know that he could exist. Unfortunately, as he stood up, feeling the room sway with him, he had to get down the stairs first.

"Pfft. That girl's gonna get it when she comes home." InuYasha slurred, stumbling around for a shirt. He barely remembered that Kagome hung up his clothes for him before she went to work. Why did she do those things? It was just in her nature, but it drove him insane that she went out of her way for him, for everyone but herself.

Shaking his head, he tore a red shirt from the hanger and struggled to pull it over his head. His dark hair ballooned at the collar, which he disregarded on his attempt at escaping the house. The best thing you could do for a drunk was leave them alone, alright.

He scowled as his knees buckled. Instinctively, he gripped to the old railing, pulling himself back up to look down the rickety stairs. There really weren't that many, but it seemed like a thousand rested between himself and the door.

InuYasha exhaled and decided to sit down on his knees, holding onto the slats as he crawled down the steps. This had been a terrible idea in retrospect. He had almost made it to his Mordor, the _last _step, when the door creaked open.

Miroku let out a curious laugh, "What the hell are you doing, InuYasha?" He asked, trying to keep an eye on the girl vomiting outside.

InuYasha fell upon the floor and victoriously laid there. "I'm trying to leave." He mumbled in the crook of his arm. Executing this plan was harder than it seemed when he was upstairs.

The short haired man bit his hip, letting out a sigh. "I assume that you're having a bad night?" It was painfully obvious, but whenever InuYasha indulged, he always had interesting things to say. Some of which, Miroku stored in his memory bank for future reference.

InuYasha's darker eye punctured his friend maliciously. "Kikyo came to see me and I got dumped. How do you think I feel?" His lower half shifted, raising the top half of his body up. Bile seemed like it was trying to, as well.

"My condolences. I've had a relatively trying evening, myself." Miroku quipped, kicking the white door open with his shoe. "Exhibit A." He pointed out Sango, recoiled against the side of the house, sweating from the unrelenting humidity outside.

InuYasha staggered, slowly moving towards the door. "Is she alive?" He asked, leaning his head out the door, sensing the thunderstorm brewing in the distance.

Miroku shrugged slighly. "Maybe. I didn't drink tonight because I know how she gets. I really kind of expected her to be able to handle her alcohol, but I totally underestimated her." He rambled nonchalantly.

InuYasha leaned against the door frame, watching Sango's face loll to the side. "I'm drunk and I think that she needs to go to the hospital, man." He arched a brow.

Miroku snorted, adjusting his glasses atop his head. "I don't think she has alcohol poisoning."

"She looks terrible." InuYasha glowered, feeling another wave of nausea inundate him.

"So do you." His friend pointed out, "Can you watch her while I go get Kagome?" Miroku pointed, rolling up his plaid sleeves to his elbows.

InuYasha's obvious deflation made Miroku make a distinctive, knowing face.

"_She's not home_." The man said in surprise. "Oh...well then, grab her ankles and don't drop her." Miroku snapped his fingers, "She still on her date?"

"Keh. You think I care?" The man barked, blinking one eye to cleanse the film on his pupil. It kind of stung, but it felt more like cling-wrap.

"That's a stupid question." He retorted smoothily, figuring out how to get the girl inside of the house unscathed. Shakily, he slipped outside and pulled Sango's shoes off.

"You've been alone this whole time and you didn't get any sleep? Miroku grunted, lifted his girl friend from beneath her arms.

"No, my god, how much does she weigh?" InuYasha blanched, trying to support her dead weight. The denim scraped his hands and made them burn uncomfortably as they created an invisible gurney.

"I never ask a lady such personal things. She's pretty solid, though. I'm afraid that she has more muscle than I do." Miroku sigh in defeat, bringing her to rest upon the large rug in front of the stairs.

"How much did she drink?" InuYasha sniveled, sounding exhausted as he let the girl's legs go with a thunk as they hit the floor. The girl was rosy cheeked and snoring, making him zone out on the noise.

"Two margaritas and some tini." Miroku sighed, replacing his glasses.

"Are you fucking kidding? She drinks beer like a man." InuYasha was dumbfounded.

"The liquor, InuYasha, does terrible things to her." The man replied, shrugged a shoulder as he rounded the kitchen counter. You seem to be handling it."

"I think I'm dying."

"Go to bed."

"No." InuYasha scoffed, enviously watching Miroku eat a cup of yogurt. His stomach rumbled, but ailed at the sight of the food.

"God to bed." Miroku pointed his spoon at him.

InuYasha wobbled, "I'm not a five year old."

"You're whining like one."

"You are such an asshole."

"You are a brute! Go lay down on the couch. You can feel like you made a bad decision in the morning. Don't worry about Kagome, she's probably having fun and you need to cope with all of these scary things that hit you today." Miroku exploded, smashing his cup against the counter top.

"Pssh, feelings are for girls and people like you. You are gonna let me do that hi-lite thing tomorrow right?" InuYasha glowered at him for a moment, hoping that he hadn't been too forward. His inhibitions must have been really low to even ask him that question.

"Yeah, but you should stop using a depressant to make you _more_ depressed. We can talk about all the awesome things we're going to do to my hair later. Right now, you and my dearest need to sleep off the god awful things you've done to yourselves." Miroku said, gingerly stepping over Sango's body to get to the linen closet.

"Why couldn't you have been a woman? You nag like one."

"InuYasha, my lady friend is passed out, drooling on our decorative rug. I'd really like to get her somewhere comfortable, and you're being incredulous."

"Miroku, I have no idea what you just said." InuYasha waved his hands around his face as though it would help make sense of what was just thrown at him. Yes, he was aware of his emotions and other people, but for the love of god, throwing words at him he didn't know was kind of cruel.

Miroku lost a bit of his patience as he shucked a fleece blanket at his friend, "And you want to leave? Because of what InuYasha? The fact that Kikyo came to dump you, since you both have been so into your relationship for the past two years, or that Kagome's not here and she may actually be enjoying Hojo's company?"

"I really, really want to punch you." The boy seethed, finding it hard to bite his tongue. He'd been working on keeping himself together, but was failing miserably.

Waving the white flag was out of the question, "Go ahead, but it won't change how you feel when you wake up and she's not here in the morning. I know you kissed her, too. I heard you bitching about it in the bathroom this afternoon."

InuYasha's body tensed and felt a blush crawl all over his skin. He wanted to scratch it away and bury himself in a hole, but instead he just glowered and cursed beneath his breath. "So what?" He breathed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Miroku shook his head, finding his friend to be unrelenting in his stupidity. There wasn't much different about him in his stupor, than a few shakes and unsure stares. He was probably more upset than anything and he just sighed, realizing that this wasn't his battle to fight. "Fine, I didn't want to talk about any of _this,_" He gestured with his spider-like hands. "I am, now."

It was bold of him to challenge InuYasha in this state, but what else was he to do?

The man in question looked at him as though he'd grown a second head. "You don't know what's going on, Miroku. I think you should take care of your girlfriend and just let me be alone." Wasn't that the exact thing that he didn't want to be?

Miroku grabbed a couple of the tacky pillows from the couch and laid one under Sango's head. "You are 24 years old, spending time _here_. You don't live here, Kagome doesn't live here." He licked his lips, looking down at the girl laying on the abrasively knit rug. "You know how hard its been for Sango and I to have any time outside of this place. Kagome isn't going to just let this go if you persue her."

"Why does everyone think that I-"

"Don't." Miroku said sternly. "The moment she busted your face she had you. This whole thing with Kikyo has just been fizzling out for so long, that neither of you are even _that___broken up about it. She was fine when she left and yeah, she'll probably cry and eat a lot of cake, or something, but _you _have something that you want."

InuYasha felt like buzzards were pecking at his brain for the last scrap of meat. He couldn't quite comprehend the sheer paramountcy. He rubbed his eye, wincing at the idea of thinking. "Miroku," He sputtered, "I literally can't talk to you about this right now."

"Suit yourself, but if you'd gone to sleep, we wouldn't have had to deal with it." A smile pricked at his cherubic face, but fell short of making his eyes illuminate.

InuYasha felt nausea over take him, covering his mouth as he bolted outside. Miroku watched him through the window for a moment, and hunkered down on the rug with Sango. His arms latched around her, pulling her close to his chest.

Admittedly, he was content to lay on the floor with her, protecting her from the feet that would surely trample her. InuYasha had to come to his own conclusions. All the protecting in the world couldn't save him from himself, now could it?

The sounds of his wretching lulled Miroku to sleep, leaving InuYasha to his own devices. Which, at the time being, were dry heaving and almost crying. _Almost._ It reminded him why he didn't drink much, and in the summery air, he felt like recoiling within himself.

The breeze rolled in between the houses, sitting close beside one another, bringing the moisture from the sea, ready to bedraggle the sand. He wanted to be cleansed of the feeling, but resign to the prospect of sleeping alone.

Kagome never showed up and he felt the defeat of not trying to obtain her. It wasn't that he wanted to jump right in, but lure her to him. It sounded worse than it was, but he tossed and turned on his single bed, back where he started.

Eventually, he fell asleep, listening to the rain patter against the window. Little to his knowledge, the girl was sitting in a fancy hotel, eating junk food and watching a Korean drama with his ex-girlfriend.

Kagome had chased Kikyo, catching her on the boardwalk and struck up a conversation about the area. The older woman had seemed content to show her around the city and familiarize her with things.

Some of it had been out of sheer curiousity, whereas the remainder was just enthrallment. Kikyo had a lot to say, but seemed like she held most of it in. She learned a lot about her life, how she and InuYasha met, and how she had a phobia of insects.

Now, as they sat upon the plush, fresh smelling bed, Kagome let her mind wander to questions that she'd wanted to ask. Kikyo was shoveling post-break up ice cream into her mouth, looking regal in her shorts and tank-top as though she had tried.

"Something the matter?" Kikyo asked, looking at the girl beside her. She'd taken a liking to her and wanted to free her from this prison she built around herself. No one should be _that _loitering with their feelings.

Kagome smiled lightly, pulling at her gossamer hair. "I just wanted to thank you for all of this. I mean, I normally don't do these kind of things, but it's been fun. I hate that you're leaving in the morning." She said honestly. To her, this had been the most fruitful evening she'd ever had.

All of these things had collectively splattered down on her, just about as ravenously as the rain raging outside. Kikyo nodded, licking the last bit of ice cream from her spoon.

"Well, I do love the beach." She said, "It doesn't look like it. I can't tan to save my life, but I'm going to move on and go to Sendai with a clean slate. I start my new job in a week, and I've worked hard to get it." She said proudly, making a mockingly disgusted face at her empty pint of ice cream. "What are you going to do when the summer is over?"

Kagome stared blankly at her. All there was for her in Tokyo was school and trying to perform academically, which she excelled. "Just school," She grimaced, trying to find something more interesting to say. "Listen to my overbearing mother tell me how to dress, how to act, how to speak..."

Kikyo empathized and sighed, "You know, I think that you need to do what _you_ want. Life is too short to sit around and just wait for fate to let things fall in your lap. I learned that the hard way. You remind me a lot of how I was when I was a teenager, and I don't want you to end up as jaded." She was looking at her lap, furrowing her brows. "And, I'm not going to lie and say that I don't notice that when we talk about InuYasha, you light up like a firecracker."

The younger girl swallowed, feeling remorse curtle her blood. "I-I..."

"He doesn't belong to me. I'll never see him again and you will. I am upset that I have to talk about it, the day my relationship ended, but if you want him, he'll be the best thing in the world. You just have to peel past that layer of douchebag he hides under." Kikyo chortled, trying her best to not laugh at her own comment.

Seeing Kagome flustered was enough of an answer for her, and she reached a pale arm around her and pulled her close. "If you need to talk to me, you can. And don't be afraid, I'd rather him end up with someone like you than half of the kind of people he dated _before_ me."

"I feel terrible that I like him a little. I have Hojo and a few people that come into the diner like me." Kagome shrugged, selflessly pushing her feelings to the side.

"Kagome, be realistic." Kikyo said sharply, "This is how this world works." Her arms gestured to everything in the room at once, which wasn't a lot. "You have to take an opportunity when it's there, and let it take you where you're going. I'm not saying fate, because I lost that, but I will call it life."

"You seem like you've been through a lot." It was obvious as to why InuYasha had been enthralled by her, and so utterly consumed. Looking at her was like watching the sunrise. There were layers and layers to her, and this was just one, singular cell to her body.

Ethereal, that was a good way to describe Kikyo. Her voice was melodious, strong, and her mind was like a machine. Kagome envied her for how freely she could express herself. She could see there was blantant jealously, but she understood how to control something that was out of her hands.

Kagome's eyes were humbled, pensively watching her continue to talk. Everything made sense and it was seizing her like a vice. It was more than her mother, or her friends, had ever told her about how to enjoy what you have while you have it and that moments are fleeting.

It made sense, all of it, in the mind of this seventeen year old girl who'd denied herself for so long. Kikyo was empowering and her energy transmitted so wholly, that Kagome was utterly transfixed upon how captivating knowing who you are could be.

The subject of InuYasha, however treacherous it may have been, was something that she enjoyed sharing, because it was a part of her. She told her so many things about their lives in Osaka, and how they had fallen out of love.

It was something she needed to expell, and something that Kagome, so wholeheartedly absorbed. Those things would happen to her, too. All of it. It was still terrifying, but the virtuous truthes outweighed fear.

As their night came to a close, Kikyo left her with her phone number and a package full of miniture chocolates. It was going to ruin her figure, she'd said. Relief, astonishment, and something more... something almost reinvigorating clung to her as she left.

It was still too soon to say, but Kagome began to understand what had she had been lacking. Chasing down a dream was like finding an astral garden on Earth. It was impossible if you limited yourself to what you'd always known.

And, as she ran home, Kagome held her purse over her head catching ran, believing that there was something spectacular waiting for her. She just had to figure out how to capture it.


	6. Sugar

**AN: Thank you to my lovely reviewers and readers, as always. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been having some personal issues and internet issues the last month, but so far they're getting better and I got a moment to write!**

**I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter. The next chapter will be up tomorrow night, after editing! There's a lot of fun things and fun people making themselves known!**

**Happy reading, honies. Love Jiru.**

**(I have been painting a lot lately, so if anyone has IG jorogumo / #jiruart )**

_**Sugar.**_

Dawn slithered in between the stilted jungle, guiding Kagome beneath the foundations of the summer cabins. They were murky, like the ghostly clouds gliding so silently as they squeezed out their remaining drizzle.

The muggy kiss of the air was still cool against her drenched body as she fumbled tiredly with her keys. All the lights still illuminated the home with a chilling alertness that she hadn't seen since the lightning had died off; where before, she had waited in a small diner beneath white light.

Her small hands clung to her ruined purse, praying that her sugary morsels were still intact. Kikyo had been so warming the night before, and made Kagome's clammy skin tint with a blush. She'd been so understanding and so poised that she could only dream of growing up to be like her.

Taking a deep breath, the girl shook her damp hair away from her skin, wishing she didn't feel like she'd been wrapped in cellophane. Upon opening the door, she found blankets and shoes haphazardly twined beneath the steps.

Shucking her purse on the lament counter, she darted to the dicarded fabric, chasing away the wintry blows from the air conditioning. Apparently, it seemed like it had been a busy night for no one to have cleaned up after themselves, she ruminated groggily.

Her soggy shoes sloshed against the old wooden floor as she gingerly tip-toed up the staircase. She needed a shower, desperately. Work was only a few hours away, and if she didn't find the time to tend to herself, she'd be passed out on the railing.

Reaching the last step, she peeked into Sango's room, finding Miroku's legs thrown over the covers of the single bed. Her friend was somewhere buried beneath the mess of blankets and withering gray light.

After a moment, she stopped in front of her door and hesitated before opening it. She closed her eyes and shook beneath the weight of the blanket. InuYasha was always so pensive, and soft looking when he slept. Disturbing him seemed like it would be a daring feat.

A blush crushed her cheeks, throttling her heart into a frenzied dance. Was it that obvious that she had a crush? He was something special in his own right, but part of her drifted in a haze to her conversation with Kikyo.

She did enjoy talking about what they did together, and how he made her feel. At the same time, Kagome felt guilty for thinking that there could be magic between them. She was a child, after all.

Letting out a disheartened sigh, Kagome found the courage to enter her room. She was cautious as she opened the door, finding InuYasha curled amongst the quilt and pillows on her bed. His feet hung on his own, and his knees hung in between.

Alcohol was stinging the air and upon further inspection, she found a few empty bottles hidden in the closet as she plucked out her uniform. If anyone woke up, they'd probably think that she'd snuck out for a night of debauchery, as opposed to what she was actually doing.

Just as quietly as she came, Kagome had slipped out, not closing the door all the way. It was obvious that InuYasha was lush. The heaviness of his sleep was apparent by the drool, and the hair clinging to his face made her laugh as she shut herself in the bathroom.

Dropping the blanket, she quickly stripped and hopped into the shower, not hesitating to flip on the scalding water. She flinched a little at the contrast in temperature to her own body, and relished in the warm rain that fell on her. She could have fallen asleep.

Grasping to the plastic shower wall, she leaned into it as she washed her hair. This was the first time she'd been so aware of her own body. She inspected the curves of her waist, which were subtle, but there and the way her chest wasn't quite full.

She didn't feel inadequite to other women, just a little juvenile. Sango was more robust, fuller chested and more toned. Kikyo was, too. It wasn't that she didn't think she was attractive, she just wondered why others were so awkward with her.

InuYasha had never given her a reason to feel truly insecure, and she wondered if it was just because he'd paid attention to her and it was new. He was beyond handsome and the thought made her body shudder and bloody itself with color.

Everyone treated her so delicately, as if she would simple shatter upon the faintest of contact. She had desires, dreams, the same dirty feelings everyone else had. Choosing not to express them was something she'd become accustomed to. It wasn't like she was hollow as a porcelain doll.

Smoothing her hands over her hips, she shook her head, tearing herself from the draining fog that rolled over her. The suds followed the water down the drain as she cringed at the squealing knob. Pulling the curtain back, she jerked her towel from the rack and huddled beneath it as she dried off, murmuring her thoughts to herself.

Kikyo had told her to live, didn't she? Maybe, she paused in front of the mirror, maybe she could trust herself enough to just experience this place for all it was worth. If she wanted something, she should seize it and not let it slip through her fingers.

The more she inspected her blotchy face, the more reassured she became as she dressed herself in her fitted green work shirt and pair of shorts. Being sleep deprived seemingly had made her feel more like an adult, that was for sure, she snorted as she gathered her things.

Silently, the girl crept back to her shared room and laid her bedraggled clothing on the floor. The ocean was relentlessly crying for attention as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. From where she stood, she could see the foamy heads of the waves cascading turbulently.

Part of her tried to look away from InuYasha as he slept so soundly. Her gray eyes drifted towards his figure and she curiously inched towards her bed. His hair feathered across his arms, burying most of his face beneath its blackness. She wasn't sure what it was about him that she was so drawn to, but she endured the urge to lay down beside him.

Kagome swallowed and quelled the rattling of her nerves as she turned to leave. She had almost made it undetected. Unfortunately, she stumbled over the abused clock, which InuYasha had destroyed during the night.

A grimace curled her lips and exposed the whiteness of her teeth as she danced upon her good foot, trying to desperately to hush the cry buillding in her throat. Wincing at her mauled foot, she heard InuYasha stir from his perch on the bed.

A nauseating jolt fluttered in her sternum as she shot him an apologetic look. The man could barely see past the blindness of sleep and the green smears in his vision. As he lifted his aching body, he yawned and felt dizzy as he sat up, almost falling in between the beds. "What the fuck, Kagome?" He rasped, barely audible to the girl."Where the hell have you been?"

"I-I was out with a friend, I'm sorry I woke you up." Kagome muttered, hissing as she warmed her foot with her hands as she hunkered down on the floor. "You can go back to sleep. I have to go to work in a couple of hours, so I'm just... gonna make this stop hurting and make some coffee." She whined.

InuYasha licked his lips, brushing a hand through his messy thrush of hair. "You spant the night with Hojo?" He asked almost ruefully as he pushed himself to his feet. He wavered in place, trying to conceptualize balance in the unsteady pressure in his head.

Kagome leaned back upon her elbows, frowning at the forming bruise. "No, I made a friend on the pier last night and she had to go home today, so I just ate a bunch of ice cream and watched some girly shows." She said softly, shrugging her shoulders in the dim light.

She was so tired she could barely move. The invigoration from the shower had all but dwindled when she fought the clock.

InuYasha rubbed his face with his large hands, loosening the tightness in his skin. "Are you just sayin' that shit so no one will ask you what happened?" He garbled, stumbling about the room until he stood above the woman.

His eyes rolled over her and he felt a tightness in his chest. She looked at him so earnestly he didn't want to fight her, and merely extended a hand to her.

"If anything did happen, it wouldn't really be anyone's business since I'm home and being somewhat responsible with my job," Kagome smirked halfheartedly, taking the man's hand as he braced himself on her bedframe.

"You're being awfully defensive this morning." InuYasha yawned, fighting every nightmarish thought that he had. If it were for the relentless drumbeat pounding out a war tune, he would have pried.

As she straightened herself up, Kagome smiled at him as he pressed his mouth together in a tightline. He was obviously upset that she hadn't been home. It made her heart swell at the notion and only fed fuel to the fire charring the pit of her stomach.

She let her gaze drop to the floor and fiddled with her hands as she thought. "You waited up for me, didn't you?" She asked hesitantly, finding the strength in hersef to not be so afraid.

InuYasha furrowed his brows, latching his arms across his chest in an attempt to knock the damp chill from the room. He shot a glance out the window and sighed, knowing full well he wouldn't be needed today. "And, so what if I did? You were obviously galavanting at all hours with strangers, which you supposedly are terrified of." He scoffed, his head thrumming with his heart beat.

Kagome sat down and stretched on the edge of her bed. "That was nice of you, but you don't have to watch over me all the time. I need to do things on my own and be able to take care of myself, not be as useless as a butter knife, you know?" She giggled quietly at InuYasha as he plopped down on the bed beside her.

Surprise ate at him as he closed his eyes. "Well, I got a visit from the girlfriend and she left me, so I drank and now I'm hungover, and I want to be nosy but I don't have it in me." He chided miserably, shooting her a partial glance with his darker eye.

Honesty was his thing this morning, he supposed.

Kagome smirked, idly patting him on his pajama covered leg as he sat down beside her. She hadn't been thinking about the movement of her hand on his knee, toying with he soft fabric. Her eyes seemed distant and lost in another place.

InuYasha focused on the warmth of her fingers and felt the prickle of blood beneath this skin. He'd waited up for Kagome, of course, but it sucked to have to deal with the realization that he was finally alone.

The girl chewed at her lip. She couldn't exactly tell him that she had met Kikyo, could she? It was something that gnawed at her conscience and finally consumed her. She was no liar and wouldn't give him grief. "You know," She said quietly, raising her eyes to catch his dreary gaze. "I met Kikyo on the pier and we ended up talking all night. That's where I was. I know that's strange, but she seemed fine. She said that you would be, too."

InuYasha glowered at the girl and jerked away, recoiling as he let his body fall against her mattress. "Keh, that woman's the devil." He sneered darkly, keeping an eye on Kagome as she twisted to face him. She laid down, slumped on her elbows, hair falling carelessly around her face.

"You don't really feel that way, and neither does she. She said that you two had been distant for a long time and needed to grow." Kagome murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair from InuYasha's eyes. "I don't know what it feels like to be heart broken, but I know that she was and that you'll be for a while. It's just something that everyone has to go through, isn't it? I think I broke poor Hojo's heart last night."

InuYasha smirked crookedly, slipping to his side to listen to this adult words coming out of this green mouthed girl. He was a bit perturbed by the sheer allowance of his personal life being tossed to the wolves, but Kagome was trustworthy enough. "Oh?" He mouthed, finding the topic of Hojo to be explicitly interesting. "What did the whelp do?"

Kagome made an awkward face and rested her head upon the crook of her arm. "He's so boring. Kagura, the bartender at the diner, she made fun of us on the walkway and he ran off. I told him bye and gave him a kiss, but I didn't feel anything. It just was." Her shoulders shrugged, noticing the jealous quirking of InuYasha's mouth.

"You don't need to be kissing strange men." He offered, feeling sleep cover his eyes with its taunting hands.

Kagome grinned and smacked the man on the arm. "You're one to talk about me kissing strange men. Look at what you did to me." She retorted playfully, astounded that she was so courageous to mention it aloud.

InuYasha's chest rumbled with the faintest of laughter as he closed his eyes. Relief, for what it was worth, swallowed him like the waves drinking up the rain. "Well, being one, doesn't that mean that I have some pretty good advice on the subject?"

"Well, Miroku's warned me about you." Kagome teased, feeling her heart flutter at the way he parted his eyes to look at her. It was subtle, but the want was clearly there. She didn't know if it was truly a feeling, or a fractional portion of one that made her feel the way she did.

Her teeth met her lip, and she turned away from him embarrassed when she realized she was staring at the soft gold and brown of his eyes. InuYasha couldn't help but smile at her as she turned away. It was reassurance enough of her attraction and he toyed with the idea of grabbing at her, but refrained.

Instead, he jostled her bare leg with his foot as he listened to the hum of the water. "Did you even sleep last night?"

Kagome sniffed, rubbing her face to conceal her flushed skin. "Um, no." She sighed, rubbing her eye as softly as she could. "I wanna drop dead right now. I haven't done this in forever. It was stupid, and I have work in like... Why was our clock on the floor?"

"Don't worry about it." InuYasha interjected, "You can have a sick day. Just sleep off your gross old lady feeling with me while I sleep off this headache."

Kagome shook her head and tried to move from the bed. "No, I need the money." InuYasha threw a leg over her and pulled her closer to him, but left an guarding space in between both of their tired frames.

"Just stay with me. I feel terrible and I don't want anyone else to see me act like a girl." The man whispered, shooting her a secretive glance as he half-assed pulled her comforter around them, as if it was a shoddy cocoon.

"InuYasha..." Kagome breathed, trying to suppress a yawn. The steady rise and fall of his chest made her shutdown, leaving her body at his mercy. It was the first time a man had ever lulled her to sleep, curled haphazardly around her body.

She wanted to protest and flee, but her heavy eyelids sank down, sealing her lashes like a drapery over a window. InuYasha wiggled until his head rested atop the crown of her head and blacked out.

The rest of the somber morning growled with thunder and the prosperous rain, pattering against the roof like pellets. The pinging had driven Sango's eye open. Awakening her to an emptied body and sore muscles, she fought the covers, kicking and flailing to cool off the heat beaming from her skin.

She haunted the hallway and the rickety steps, hugging the railing as not to fall. When her eyes finally melted away the hardness of sleep, she prepared a small breakfast and watched the rain. Kagome's purse grasped her attention and made that lingering wonder fade.

Aptly, the robust woman sighed and headed back up the staircase. She peeked her head into her own room and saw Miroku's legs - stiff as a board - sticking off the sides of her bed. In the other room, a large pile of clothes littered the floor.

When she reached Kagome's room, she gripped at the knob and gave it a little jiggle. A frown etched across her tired face as she wiped away stray strands of hair; the ones that never stay down after a good hair spraying.

Sango lightly rapped her knuckles on the door. A muffled sounds, so quiet she could faintly hear them, peeked her senses as the door parted.

InuYasha laid his head against the frame, barely opening the barrier between them. "Yeah?" He grumbled, blinking his eyes open.

"Did Kagome-chan come home? I saw her purse, I just wanted to make sure she was alright." Sango said, half wanting to look around his lumbering body.

The man nodded and let out a catty yawn before slinging the door open, showing the girl that her dearest friend was drooling on the foot of the bed.

"That answer your question?" He glowered, a smirk spasming at the corner of his lip.

Sango narrowed her eyes at InuYasha and looked at Kagome and back to him with curiosity. Miroku would have been scolding, but she shook her head and patted him on the shoulder, making him flinch at the contact. "You need to watch yourself around Miroku. You know he'd have your ass on a platter."

InuYasha worked his way out of the room, closing the door behind him. He still felt weighty beneath the pressure in his head, but ignored the blinding drums behind his eyes. "I don't know why everyone is chastising me. It's not like I'm ravaging her the moment I see her."

"Well," Sango said, hand firmly planted on her hip. "No one really should. You share a room, you're bound to get close. Look at me and Miroku. I think that he just wants to save her from this back and forth and the maybe, maybe not that we've gone through."

"Keh." The only response he could have given that didn't require thinking. He knew that their hearts were in the right place. It was just unsettling that they chose to climb all over him like children, telling him this way or that.

Shaking his head, he shrugged.

Sango chewed at her lip, staring through her half eaten make up to see Kagome stirring in the mess of blankets, reaching for the body she had stolen. Wincing at a sharp pain in her head, she flung her hand towards the man and mumbled something about aspirin and bounded down the stairs.

InuYasha rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. Plopping down, he roused the girl beside him; no matter how groggy, she shot up.

"Oh my god," Kagome rasped, her throat sore from the harshness of the night. Wiping away drool, she was blinded by the looming light behind the clouds. "I have to get to work." She slurred, smiling at InuYasha before bolting out of the room.

Sango barely registered her barreling down the stairs before she was gone. It seemed like she was gonna be more troublesome than she had originally thought, she sighed. Parking herself on the couch she shoved burned toast in her mouth as she flipped through the channels on the tv.

It wasn't long before InuYasha came, haphazardly dressed and dragging, down the stairs and out the door. Somethings were just more obvious than others, and she could bet that he was going to end up falling head over heels for her.

Poor Miroku was gonna have a heart attack whenever he found out someone, other than him, was trying to get in a pair of panties.


	7. Dreary Hearts

_**AN:**_

_Hi everyone! I didn't post this on time because I added a little more to the chapter. I hope that you guys enjoy this and thanks for the reviews! They always make me smile. _

_ninjamidori; Miroku is such a cock-block. XD_

_Warm-Amber92; Sorry for the overload! It made me kind of want to barf when I wrote it. Haha. And thank you so much! I'm hoping to be able to update more frequently now that everything has settled down some. _

_rite4fun; I just wanted to clear that out and get him focused on Kagome. I think I may bring Kikyo back later, but not as anything drama related. I just like her. And he's totes gonna get to wooing soon._

_kittychic0895; Extra long chapter for the wait!_

_Jennifer; Yeah, I hope you like this. I wrote Kagura especially for you. After all the talks, I think we've finally got the sassy pants down._

_Kagome39;Lots of angsty goodness and sass. ;D_

_Happy reading, my friends!_

_~Jiru_

**Dreary Hearts**

Kagome ran all the way to the boardwalk, covering her frizzy hair with her hands in hopes that it would _actually _help. When she arrived, a film of damp sand covered her to her ankles and she probably smelled like a wet dog. The owner of the restaurant scowled at her as she flung open the door, allowing a meager display of sun to peak through.

Her face was already flush from the events of the morning, and the more distance she put between herself and a certain someone, the better she felt. Noticing that the old man was staring at her with his sunken in eyes, propped on his cane as if he had been leaning against a wall.

The girl's heart beat fluttered as she bowed her head, fear crippling her features. "Gomen, Totosai-san!" She said in haste, raising her eyes to meet his once again.

The man shook his head and rubbed his thinning beard. "You realize that you're over an hour late and Kagura, over there," He gestured a liver-spotted hand at the sour barmaid. "...has been up in arms about waiting on customers."

Kagome chewed at her lip, furrowing her brows deeply. Looking around the room, there was one customer. It was one of the young paramedics that had been there that one day. He hadn't really said anything to defend her, but he'd looked upset when it happened. "But there's only one person..." She said absently, looking back at the man in front of her.

Totosai sighed, waving her off as tried to hide his near-toothless grin. "That's besides the point! You need to get to work, girl. Otherwise, I'm going to have to listen to the old shrew complain she hasn't had ten cigarette breaks since she got here!" He huffed, straightening out his Hawaiian shirt.

Kagome nodded and placed her belongings in the small back room. Her head was filled with a million zigzagging thoughts, and not one she could latch onto clearly. She was still so tired that moving felt like a major task.

Kagura had stared at her, through her layers of eyeliner and mascara, hoping she would feel how steamy the glare was. When it didn't work out that way, she sighed and hunched over the chipping bar and lazily thumbed through a magazine.

It had been relatively quite as Kagome cleaned up the dusty corners of the nautical displays. She was waiting for the dark headed man in the corner to say something, or show any indication that he needed something; since Kagura had so graciously handed him over.

He seemed so captivated by the American film playing on the television, that Kagome couldn't help but smile cheekishly in his direction. It had been innocent on her part, but that was what he noticed. His bright eyes lit up and he sent her an equally flirtatious grin.

The girl immediately blushed and looked away at the planks on the wall. _Please don't come talk to me! Please don't come talk to me! _She repeated like a mantra. Her hands pressed the rag harder on the surface, praying that if she ignored him he wouldn't bother her, but she was wrong.

The woman closed her eyes as she heard the obvious attention grabbing sounds of his throat clearning. Running a hand through her bangs, she hopped down from the chair and turned to face him nervously.

"Hello there," The rugged man said with a smirk. The faintest flush was present upon his tanned skin and it made Kagome completey aware of his intentions. "I just wanted to say that every time I see you, the more radiant you look." He said with a seriousness that the girl almost laughed at.

She looked horrible, frazzled hair, runny makeup, smelly rained on person funk... It was completely dumbfounding but she opened her mouth and thanked him. "I appreciate that very much." Kagome muttered, focusing on his pale green and white uniform top with his badge hanging over his left breast. "Koga-san?"

The man beamed, cautiously sratching the back of his head. "Yes, ma'am. I never caught your name. It must be something as pretty as you are, though." His teeth peeked over his lip and she batted her large eyes accidentally.

Now it was clear why everyone thought she was trouble! She thought. Everyone mistook her genuine reactions to things as flirting and that was simply not the case. Even though his fellow was handsome and well mannered for the most part, she was still leery of him.

"It's Kagome." The girl said with a warm sigh, gray eyes meeting his empty table with an equally empty beer mug. "Would you like another drink? It looks like you polished that one off a while ago!" She quipped, finding him staring at her wistfully.

"Oh!" Koga shook his head and backed away slightly, taking a seat back in his rickety chair. "Yeah that would be great." Waving a finger, Kagome leaned in closer upon his gesture. Her hair fell beside his face and his breath tickled her ear, making her shudder slightly. "And make sure that _thing_ behind the bar doesnt spit in it."

Kagome's hand slapped to her mouth as she stifled a laugh. Kagura, at some point, had nonchalantly skidded her magazine across the counter. She'd obviously heard the snide remark and pucked her lips as she stared in their direction.

Kagome apty grabbed the empty mug and headed to the bar, where a fresh one was waiting for her. As she headed back to the table, she heard the old door creak open. Idly, she was about to greet the new customer when Koga caught her attention with those strange eyes of his.

"I hate to be so forward, but would you like to go do something some time?" He asked huskily, brushing her hand as they exhanged the drink.

Kagura snorted childishly, raising up as she saw InuYasha carrying two cups of coffee and a small brown bag in his mouth. He looked like a drowned rat. _A very irate, drowned rat._

Koga arched a brow at the soaked man and looked at Kagura's eager expression. "Kagome-channn." She cooed, pointing at the boy standing in the middle of the lobby. "You have a visitor." Her sing song tone was obvious and it made the girl's hair stand on end as she turned around, redder than InuYasha's jacket.

"InuYasha?" She said absently, forcing a smile upon her face as Koga looked at her with a question in his eyes.

"That you're boyfriend?" He asked darkly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagura chewed on her nails, raising her eyes from her article. "May as well be her boyfriend..." She mummbled, finding Kagome gaping.

InuYasha sat the items upon one of the many empty tables and sighed. "I brought you a tart, since you didn't have breakfast. You also left your purse on the counter. I kind of ate all the candy, but you still have those nasty cinnamon ones." He challenged, his oddly colored eyes laying heavily on the _jerk._

Koga leaned back and smirked. "Well, I guess you like scrawny men. I'll have to change that." He interjected. "And, that display of ownership was really helpful. I'm assuming that you can't seal the deal."

InuYasha cocked his head to the side. He was already in a foul mood, not able to free himself from his hangover. Why did this guy have to be such a prick, anyway? "It's none of _your_ business what _we _do. You need to be a bit less of a douchebag and let her do her job without making her look like she's gonna fucking cry."

Amidst it all, Kagome was jarred and winding her hands together until they felt raw. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel _this _embarrassed. Totosai was probably going to fire her, she grimaced. She needed this job and didn't need anyone fighting for her today.

Kagura had since left and probably distracted the old man in the back. He was already hard of hearing, but it still left a sour taste in her mouth as she tried to stay calm. She left home for freedom, not to have someone make choices for her.

Closing her eyes, Kagome pressed her fingers to her temples; ignoring the cussing and domineering speeches being spouted off as though each of them thought they were chivalrous. "Um, this is _my _job. Can we please stop arguing while I'm working?" She murmured in a tiny voice. So much for having a back bone.

InuYasha arched a brow, trying to understand what she had said. Koga on the other hand, had caught every word and grabbed her wrist gently. "I think the lady is right. We really don't need to be fighting over something like this while she's trying to support herself."

InuYasha wanted to roll over and die. Clenching his fists, he swallowed his pride and apologized to the girl. He took his coffee and pointed a knowing finger at Koga as he headed towards the door. "You better watch it you harlot." He snapped, sending a disappointed look towards Kagome, who stood shellshocked and completely overwhelmed.

"Likewise, you jackass." Koga quipped, smirking at the obvious jealous glare he received before the door slammed.

Kagome smiled weakly at him and excused herself heading towards the back. She found Kagura grinned like a fox, washing out her pint glasses. "So," She purred, "You realize that that completely made my day."

"You realize that I want one of your cigarettes right now." Kagome snapped her fingers, not caring about the effects. She just wanted to cool off the burning rage that had built within her. She'd never been this upset about anything entire life. Both of those men were being selifsh children and it _was _disturbing flattering, but it didn't changes the facts.

Kagura blinked at her and shook her head. "Kagome-chan, I don't know if you really want-"

"Yes." Kagome hissed, "Now. I've never let anyone see me this angry! I want to go stand outside for a minute and have a second to myself!" She seethed, rubbing the corners of her eyes.

Kagura obliged her and handed her a lighter and a lecture on how to handle the nausea. She didn't really care, but she regretted it soon after and vomited. It gave her an excuse to go home; even though going home hadn't seemed like such a good idea.

Maybe she should have just slept in all day and taken the risk of losing her job, she sighed as she packed up her things. Before she headed home, she ended up sitting on the wet bench outside of the rental shop Miroku worked at, letting the drizzle cut the heat out of her skin.

She quelled her empty stomach with the tart InuYasha had brought for her and sipped on the old coffee. She didn't know how she felt about all the attention. It was no secret that InuYasha had feelings for her, but he wouldn't come out and ask her out or anything.

Koga and Hojo had been men about it and _asked_.

Men were like children, or at least the ones she had to deal with. Looking over her shoulder, she saw through the murky window to the shop where Miroku was waving at her jovially. She half-heartedly waved back and his mouth fell in a tight line.

It almost made her laugh at how drastically his expression changed when he realized that it was most likely _men troubles_. A finger ran across his neck and he pretended to choke himself, shaking his head playfully.

Kagome could see why Sango was so crazy about him. Those nerdy little glasses, and those bow-ties he sometimes liked to wear with his shirts... He certainly was the lady killer and a good friend to boot.

He straightened up pretty quick when a couple of customers came in and she watched him talking animatedly. She needed to be more carefree, she sighed, dragging her eyes away to the jostling water in the distance.

The red flags were flying and the beach was closed off for the day. The most she could do was maybe stick her aching feet into a puddle, and hope a little crab didn't pinch her. Tossing her trash in a receptical, Kagome decided to head home and sleep the afternoon away.

**x-x-x**

Across town, InuYasha was sulking in a record shop, trying to find something that matched his bitter mood. He was fairly certain that he had blown any chance he had with Kagome. Did he even really have one? She probably wouldn't have even known what to do with him anyway, he glowered.

Thumbing through the obnoxious collections of pop music, and their smiling faces, he found something that seemed a bit more dejected. As he readied to check out, he ducked away when he saw Sango slurping on an oversized frozen Icee.

"Oh my fucking god." He grumbled, pulling his jacket hood over his stringy, wet hair. Sango unfortunately caught sight of him and weaved through the musty rows until she latched onto his arm like a teenager.

"Well hello there! I figured you were all up Kagome's ass today." The woman chided, dark eyes wide and questioning.

InuYasha lolled his head back and let out a groan as she tighened her grasp on his arm. "Can you let go of me?" He asked, shufflingly to the counter.

"No," Sango answered quickly, lackadaisically lacying her head on his shoulder. "You really need to have some people skills or something. I really don't think that you're a very likeable person." She teased, feeling him tense beneath her.

The cashier furrowed his brows and aptly took InuYasha's money, returning the record in a paper bag. "You know, you really need to know when to back off. I don't know how Miroku can stay this clinging shit you do." He retorted, walking towards the jingly door.

Sango roled her eyes and swatted him. "Sooo, I heard through the grapevine that you were a shit at Kagome's work today..."

"How do you know everything that goes on?" InuYasha asked, completely flabbergasted.

"I have no life. Duh." Sango snorted, casually walking with him down the paved sidewalk towards the little shanty town. "You should have already known that."

InuYasha blew a breath into his bangs, "Why can't any of you vultures leave me alone?"

"My, you're inquisitive! I think that you should appreciate that I'm even gracing you with my presence."

"Seems like your hangover is gone."

"No, my head is exploding like a damn volcano. I'm just ignoring it because I didn't want to be cooped up in the house all day, you know..." She waved her free hand, "...cleaning up that hair dye mess that you and Miroku made, which left our kitchen look like a chemistry experiment."

InuYasha cringed and looked down right defeated. "What do you want to know, you nosy wench?"

Sango let go of him and clapped her hands victoriously, rolling her thin shirt sleeves to her elbows. "So, who was this mystery person that started sassing you?"

"Of course," InuYasha heaved, shoving a hand in his pocket for a cigarette. "I don't know who the hell he was, but he was obviously looking for a panty drop."

The woman gasped overdramatically. "I hope you punched that son of a bitch."

"When did you get this sailor's mouth on you?" InuYasha scrutinized, thankfull the landing of houses was coming up in the near distance.

"Since I started hooking and doing drugs." Sango shrugged nonchalantly. InuYasha lit his cigarette aptly and shook his head at her. He never was suprised at anything that came out of that woman's mouth. She was absolutely vile sometimes.

"You've always been a keeper," He said, mulling over how upset Kagome looked when had left the diner. That had eaten at him all day and he felt so disgusted that he even bothered fighting with that whelp.

"Miroku's so lucky. That's why I totally wear the pants." Sango smiled warmly, brushing her long hair behind her ears. "If you want to make things better with Kagome-chan, why don't you do something nice for her." She said earnestly, calming her tempermental tone.

InuYasha rolled his shoulders, not paying attention to the massive puddle he had stamped in. "I-uh, um." He stammered, a blush kissing his cheeks. "You're going to tell on me." He said sharply, narrowing his darker eye at her.

Sango scoffed, "Seriously. I wouldn't be helping you with your dirty work if I didn't want the both of you to get over yourselves. Summer is short, and you both obviously are like two magnets, so let's do this."

"I don't really want to talk to you about this." He answered honestly, trying to push out this entire conversation.

"Well," She inhaled, "If you don't want my advice that's fine. But, Kagome-chan likes crysanthemums, video games, amusement parks, but she'll barf if she rides anything, erm," She paused, mulling over her friend's _profile_. "...musicians, you can't play an instrument for shit, so that's out. "

"I don't really need a roll call." InuYasha said dryly, thankful that they had wound through the throngs of newer homes to find theirs, sitting like a crumbling brick. "I'm going to take a nap and worry about all this shit later."

"She's asleep in the bedroom." Sango pointed out as they opened the door.

"Fuck."

"Well, that _is _one way to make it better." She laughed, elbowing him in the ribs as she plopped down the couch; her home away from home.

InuYasha stared at his shoes, wiping his face with his hand. He had regretted ever saying that Kikyo was the devil when she was so obviously sucking the life out of him from across the room. Waving, her thin eyebrows raised as she pointed upstairs.

"You go take care of that," She teased, making a catty gesture as she pulled a blanket over her head. She hoped to god she would still be alive when her boyfriend got home.

There was nothing more amusing than embarrassing InuYasha, after all. Kagome was probably going to kill her, but what was the worst that could happen, anyway?


	8. Starlight

**AN: **_Early morning update! Enjoy the weekend and thank you to my lovely reviewers and readers! I've been up since 5 this morning and when I got home, I figured to go ahead and finish this up and give this to you early. I'll hopefully have another chapter out tonight. I know that most authors wait for reviews before posting new chapters, but I want to share this with everyone and I know several of you are on pins and needles waiting, so here you go! Haha._

_Happy reading my friends._

_~Jiru_

Starlight

The day came and went, slept away within the blackness behind Kagome's eyes. There was a roaring call, rousing her as it had lulled her to sleep. Rubbing her sore eyes, she sat up in her bed, hair falling in messy rivulets around her shoulders.

Her body still ached as she threw back the sheets she had been coiled in. InuYasha had obviously been there. The lamp was left on and his bags were strewn about the space in between their beds.

Kagome frowned at all the clothes littering the floor and folded them before she climbed a top his bed. She pulled open the window and let the gentle breeze lick her face with moisture and the sweetness of salt.

Above, she saw the stars puncturing the darkness with their illuminations. The clouds were dark, separated as the moon shown upon the foaming mouth, rolling over the murky shore. Freely, her hands hung in the air, feeling the silkiness of the night.

_This_ was the feeling that she longed for, sparked by some unknown presence that made her genuinely alive. The trials of the day had long since past and she was content to exist alone. It didn't drive away the loneliness she felt, and insecurity, when InuYasha was not in attendance.

Yet, it held a calm that she desperately needed. Coming here hadn't been what she imagined. She knew that she would return to Tokyo with knowledge and a newly found aire of adulthood, but the price was completely exhausting.

For a moment, she curled her hair around her finger, staring into the sea for answer to her woes. When no answer was heard, the girl quirked her mouth and collapsed on her room-mates bed. The sheets smelled like him, all warm and natural, not like the cologne Miroku smelled like.

Nuzzling sleepily into his pillow, she laid there for a while. Koga crossed her mind and whether or not she should at least give him a shot. What would it hurt anyway? He was probably looking for bragging rights and a good time, nothing permenant.

She didn't need something that would suck up all of her time. Defeatedly, Kagome reached into her shorts and pulled out a crumpled napkin with his number on it. Being home didn't seem like something she wanted right now, and she mulled over calling him before getting up.

As she grabbed a dress from the closet, she heard a rapping on the door. Her heart fluttered as she looked over her shoulder and saw Sango peeking in. "You can come in, Sango-chan. I just woke up." She said groggily, hearing Sango shut the door behind her.

Quickly, and out of habit, she changed her clothes as Sango plopped down on her bed with a magazine folded at the spine. "Where are you off to?" She asked, licking her thumb casually.

Kagome shrugged, as she fastened a yellow belt in the middle of the turquoise fabric. "I'm not sure, I just don't want to be all cooped up tonight. I slept all day, so I may go get some food or something."

Sango ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the girl as she picked out her shoes. "Why don't you see if InuYasha wants to do something. He's been sleeping all day, too. Miroku went out with one of his friends and I've just been eating the candy in your purse all day."

Kagome furrowed her brows and pouted, slinging a pair of wedges in her hands. "InuYasha told me that he ate all my candy."

Sango smirked and tilted her head. "_No_, that was me." She chided, pulling a cinnamon hard candy out of her pocket. "I told him that I'd tell everyone that he was an excellent hair stylist and that Miroku was really his boyfriend if he told you I did it."

"You left me the ones that burn my mouth." Kagome said absently, popping the hot confection in her mouth. "You go to extremes, don't you?" She asked, brushing out her long hair.

The other woman raised up and stretched. "It's all for the greater good. InuYasha will basically let you run over him with a car as long as it was his idea, you know that? He's a good guy and all, he's just got this pride thing that's overwhelming to deal with. We like to call it his demon."

Kagome blanched, "Do you seriously listen to yourself?"

"What?" Sango asked, flailing her hands. "Have you never just been like: '_Oh no! Here comes InuYasha, I hope his demon isn't out! I really want to have fun today'?_

Kagome was expressionless, staring at the woman as she grinned coyly. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Both of you ask to many questions." She retorted, arching her brows as she got up. "Seriously, just go talk to him. He's all grumbly and shit. Oh! _And_, you have a package from your mom." Sango said, heading out of the door.

The other girl nodded happily and followed behind her.

Downstairs, Kagome nearly squealed with delight as she picked up the decorative box. The counter was covered in sheer ribbons and a small card. The box was rather large and held a pastel design of kittens. "I almost forgot about my birthday!" She beamed, pulling off the lid to find an envelope of money.

Sango looked over from the couch at the small pieces of jewelry Kagome held up. "Those are cute Kagome, you should wear them out tonight." She said, shooting a glance at InuYasha, whom was holding a pillow over his face.

He moved his free hand around and grabbed onto the remote, shucking it lazily in Sango's direction, knowing full well what she was doing. Moving the pillow to the side, his golden peeked out and he mouthed; "I'm going to murder you." Fueling the fire was obviously his specialty.

For, Sango whipped her head around and smirked at Kagome. "Prince Charming is awake, why don't you drag his ass out of this house so it doesn't smell like desperation and arm pits."

The girl smiled, hooking in one of her small strawberry earrings. "Do you want to go get some food or something, InuYasha?"

The boy blushed and raised up, brushing a hand through his long hair. Sango glared at him until he finally said yes, and sent him on his way to get dressed.

Kagome arched a brow at the girl as InuYasha came barreling down the stairs, lightly grabbing her arm. "We'll be back later you nosy she-devil."

Sango waved as she heard the door shut, leaning back against the couch. "Mission one complete."

**x-x-x**

Outside, InuYasha grabbed his bike, shaking off the moisture from the morning. It was balmy, but far cleaner than it had been earlier in the day. Kagome chewed at her lip, watching him sway beneath his thin jacket and mess of hair.

"Are you going to ride your bike?" She asked, holding her bare arms against the soft whispers of wind.

InuYasha looked at her through a rift in his bangs, catching the faintest hint of her expression in the dark. "Yeah," He answered, removing his jacket and settling the fabric around the basket. "Hop on."

Kagome manuvered into the basket, pulling her hair over her shoulder as not to whip his face as he climbed on. "I'm sorry that Sango is being so weird," She said, wiggling around until she found some sort of comfort.

InuYasha shrugged and let his distaste fade away as he watched the way her skin glistened in the dim light. As he pedaled, shaking with the first few rotations, he found a rythym as the bounded over the sand. "I wouldn't worry about it." He said softly, finding the awareness in his actions earlier in the day.

He wanted to apologize to her and tell her that he honestly didn't want to belittle her choices, or choose for her for that matter. Yet, as they hit the pavement that wound around the front of the block of houses, he was blinded by the fact that they were alone.

Completely alone.

Ease washed over him as she gripped the backside of the basket in her hands, arching her neck in the breeze. Her eyes focused on the stars, creating a sea of iridesecence above them. He could smell the hints of vanilla on her skin and in her hair as it fluttered around him.

It was then he remembered exactly why he hadn't wanted to tarnish her and he struggled with his emotions as she spoke to him, pointing out the constellations she found.

Her very core was so sincere that seeing her so angry, upset, or what have you, had made him feel like he was doing her an injustice.

Yet, InuYasha continued to oblige her with conversation as they zipped down the nearly empty street, on the glistening wet pavement, creased by blurs of neons from the downtown buildings.

"So tell me," The girl said, looking over her shoulder at him with a smile hitting her eyes. Her hand brushed away hair, gently tucking it behind her ear. "Why do you keep coming back here? I may have asked you before, but I don't know if you've ever given me an answer."

InuYasha's skin was flushed, mouth dry as he watched her nose wrinkle, instead of paying attention to the street as he should have been. "Um, I'm not actually sure anymore." He said, realizing his legs were growing weak against the pressure. "I guess I wanted to have a place that I could escape to, you know? Like, not having to worry about all the bullshit I have to deal with when I'm home."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "If you're getting tired you can stop and I can pedal you." She laughed, "But, honestly, I understand. I begged my mother to let me come out here with Sango. She'd probably die if she knew I was alone with a man."

"One that's supposedly prowling, right?" The man added, slowing the bicycle near a rack.

"I trust you." Kagome admitted, climbing out of the basket as InuYasha locked it up. "I don't think that you would do that to me. You look out for me a lot, and I appreciate that." She said, daintly hugging herself.

InuYasha smirked dumbly and tugged at the sleeves of his t-shirt. "Um, thanks. I guess that someone needs to." _Did he just get friendzoned?_

He barely was aware that the girl had said something else, but he hadn't caught it and she looked a bit disappointed when he didn't respond. Quietly, she began to walk away, forcing a smile on her face.

InuYasha pulled out a cigarette and caught up with her as they walked towards one of the few places still left open. A few rogue diner carts littered the street, waiting for those stragglers to come and take the last of the night's preparation.

Kagome seemingly found the one cart that still had sukiyaki and bought up several bundles before handing a skewer to the man. He looked surprised that she'd spent her money on him and thanked her and devoured most of hers, as well.

Kagome couldn't help but watch his nervous quirks out of the corner of her eye. His stubbly face was more manly than when was clean shaven and his hair was like a wiry mess in the muggy night. Blankly, as they sat on the cement wall, she brushed her fingers over his, grabbing their slush drink from him.

InuYasha looked away, flinching and stared at the throngs of people still out, buying cases of alcohol and bags of whatever else, as they walked down to the beach campsite beyond the buildings. His mind was busy spinning around, keeping an alertness on the edge of his nerves.

He watched Kagome and talked with her about how much she didn't like her job because of how rude people were, and he felt like it was partial his fault for that being so. Kanna had to return to school early, so there was a position opening for Lifeguard. Hell, he wasn't sure if Kagome would have even been up for it, but at least she could think about it.

Blankly, he'd been staring at her as she continuing her thoughts on things. It wasn't long before an idea sprouted in his head, and he recalled all of the horrendously brutal things Sango had said, which were mostly true. He gave her that, at least.

Kagome was about to get up and throw away her trash when InuYasha grabbed her hand and pulled her down the block. "Where are we going? Don't I need to throw that away?" She asked painfully, not fully aware of the weight of his hand on hers.

"We're going to the beach." InuYasha said with a grin, slowing his pace for her to meet at his side. He moved his fingers over hers and felt the jolt that shot through to his stomach. He wasn't about to fuck this up, not yet.

"Isn't it closed?" Kagome furrowed her brows, clodding against the sandy embankment.

"Not anymore. They opened it before dark." He confirmed, scopping her up in his arms as she fumbled around on those godforsaken shoes of hers.

Kagome blushed and bit her lip, trying to keep from looking him in the eye. She brought her attention to the whisping clouds and smoke coiling from the bonfires strewn across the knolls. Laughter echoed beneath the rustling sound of the water as it crashed along the shoreline, pulling away the corrosive sand and replacing it with seaweed and urchin.

InuYasha was careful sitting her back down. Making sure the petite thing caught her balance, he kicked off his shoes and suggested she do the same. Complying she left them in a heap near a large piece of drift wood as she watched the man's silhouette drift towards the water.

She squished the sand lovingly between her toes, blushing nervously as watched him pull his shirt over his head. Turning away Kagome, tried to look at anything but his lanky, exposed body. It probably hadn't been anything intentional, but she was hesitant to even go near him.

When he called her name, her eyes snapped towards him sheepishly and he gestured for her to come closer. "How expensive was this dress?" He asked her with a straight face.

Kagome blinked and shrugged, "It wasn't that-" Before she could say another word, she was picked up at the waist and flung into the water. She let out a yelp at the cool liquid, bedraggling her clothing.

InuYasha laughed at her as she fearfully tried to fight the small waves knocking her down. She looked like a cat being sprayed with a water bottle; surprised, frantic. Kagome glared at him, tugging against the top of her dress to keep it from coming down.

"Why in hell did you do that to me?" She whailed, choking on a bit of the water.

The man shrugged his shoulder and hunkered down at the edge of the water, watching the way her clothes hugged her curves in the night's glow. "Live a little." He said, instantly being splashed by the cold water, sending a startled yelp out of his mouth.

Kagome smirked and kicked a chunk of seaweed - after she had screamed at the intrustion - at him. He flinched and raised up, bolting in the water to knock her down. In the shallows, she struggled beneath him, trying to dunk his head. "You're such a jerk!" She cried playfully, feeling his body warm hers.

He rolled her on top of him as she continued to pull the fabric over her breasts. "Why don't you just take it off, you're wearing underwear aren't you?"

Kagome blushed deeply, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to sit up, making her completely aware of her position. Looking away, she began to tremble and throb just as badly as her heart.

"I'm not taking my close off, you pervert." She quipped, "Don't make me take back what I said about trusting you." She pointed out, furrowing her brows darkly.

InuYasha grinned at her and raised his different colored eyes to the sky. "Covers the same as a bathing suit, and you wear those don't you?" He pointed out, nonchalantly at best.

The girl's mouth puckered but she didn't respond. Idly, she brought her eyes to the water dribbling over the hollow of his throat and watched the way his chest rose and fell with each breath. She felt hot, rattled to the bones as he caught her eyes.

Swallowing, InuYasha raised upon his elbows, trying to fight the sinking sand. "Are you alright, Kagome?" He asked, seeing her mouth part ever so slightly. He knew she wanted to say something, but when she didn't, he brought a hand up to rub her salty arm.

The girl flinched, brushing back her tangled, wet hair. She chewed at her lip, trying to figure out what it was that she felt for him. What was it that made her feel so explosive? This was some forbidden territory and she shouldn't ruin it with her girlish whims, but the more she was around him, and the more she saw _him, _the harder it was to refrain.

InuYasha felt as thought his body was betraying him, urging him to have her for himself and never share her with anyone. He wanted her and there was no denying that, but this attraction was going to prove detrimental for the both of them, that's what it boiled down o.

Yet, as the sea churned and played its familiar tune, it pushed logic to the wayside and replaced it with something as wild as a siren't call. Kagome swallowed hard, meeting InuYasha's lips with her own, winding her hands into his mussed hair, savoring the brackish moisture clinging to his mouth.

Blindly, he pulled at her back, pressing her closer into him as she relished in his touch and exploded with a forceful current, driving her deeper into his mouth. He moaned against her, startling her slightly as she pulled at him, feeling his warm skin being cooled by the rushing water.

InuYasha arched into her, letting his lumbering hands slip against her bottom, making her jerk against him. She gasped silently, half watching his cheeks stain themselves red as his breathing became ragged.

They stayed wrapped in each others limbs, fighting their wet clothing and cold for what felt like forever. The ebb and flow of time, of the current, of themselves seemed to be drowning them beneath whatever emotions had been made abundantly clear.

There was no going back at this point, and it was known that the candle was lit. However, once it begins to burn, there is only so long before the wax will smother out the flame. Kagome knew that this would be a memory she would carry with her the rest of her life.

InuYasha just hoped he could carry her through his.


	9. Morning

AN: _As it as been brought to my attention that several of the accounts and stories with sexual content have been deleted; which I feel is unfair since there is an M rating for a reason. Saying that MA is the true rating for sexual content and excessive violence pretty much nullifies the reasoning behind a M rating anyway. That's just my opinion. I registered for a Media Miner account and for an AFF account - again as it's almost impossible to post on there. _

_I'll be giving this information out as I'm working on a series of lemon one shots called, Lemon Tarts. _

_And once again thank you to my readers and my lovely reviewers!_

_ninjamidori_

_cityoffallenangels_

_warm-amber92_

_say0mi saki_

_kittychic0895_

_kagome39_

_Jen Dalton _

_Thank each of you for your supportive reviews and patience through the waiting period! I hope you like this chapter and if you have any suggestions and pointers, feel free to let me know some things you'd like to see! _

_And a special thanks to my anon for letting me know before I received my email about my account being reviewed. _

Question.

A dusting of light peered through the myriad of feathered clouds. It was already warm, engulfed by the sweet morning zephyrs and sprays of foam from the ocean. Kagome had somehow managed to shower and fall asleep comfortably in her bed before anyone noticed her.

InuYasha had left some time ago, leaving her alone and sore from bodily exhaustion. Emotionally, she was replaying the moments like her favorite scene in a film. A smile involuntarily creased her lips as she covered her head with her blankets; embarrassed that she had even thought of him that way.

No one was there to see it, so she felt childish for hiding her obvious blush. She curled her toes as a bolt of heat shot through her. There was a hesitant pause when things began to rush themselves. Kagome wasn't sure why InuYasha had let go of her and headed back towards the town.

Neither of them spoke, really, on the way home. The girl frowned slightly that he had slept in Miroku's abadoned room, hoping that it wouldn't become a routine. Rolling over in her bed, she looked at her soggy heap of clothes in the corner and willed herself to get up and clean. When she did, she looked towards the beach, through the condensation on the window.

Sango was probably giving lessons already and InuYasha was more than likely perched on his chair, wearing his hat half paying attention to his surroundings. How could he have just let that moment slide? The girl mused, stopping to look at herself in the mirror.

She could see the want in her own eyes and shook her head clear of the impurities. Everything else that came along with him - the awkwardness of his prowess, the maddening way she tried to focus on the color of his eyes, his crassness. She wanted it all.

It was like the night and made her feral and drunk off of him. "I've got to get it together." Kagome mumbled to herself. She had nothing in particular to do today and her birthday was certainly fast approaching.

She wouldn't be a little girl anymore and these feelings of hers, they were as far from juvenile as the sun was from the earth. Not to say that she didn't try to push them out of her head, of course. After basically climbing all over InuYasha last night, she was probably going to have trouble keeping her hands to herself.

A sigh erupted from her chest as she threw on her clothes and grabbed her purse from the nightstand. Like a most women, Kagome felt like shopping her disappointment away.

Yet, in a flittering moment, Kagome closed her eyes and zoned out. Was she really expecting a life long love affair with him? Realistically, InuYasha was special to her in a way that no one else would be. He was all of her firsts; the things that people wake up to remember and smile or cry at the loss.

Surmounting the plain he existed on was something far beyond her, and she understood the possbility of failure. Being overly analytical was stifling and she held a strong abhorrence for even thinking of these things.

Collectively, she let those eyes of his spark something in the darkness behind her own. She felt the strength of her emotions surge through her. Hell or high water, she would at least try to hold on. If it happened again, she knew that her arms would be open to it.

Sango had been through all of this and maybe talking to her about it might help, she thought idly as she grabbed a pair of sunglasses. On her way down stairs, she found her sitting like a hawk, mouth hanging ajar.

Apparently, something tremendous had happened in her serial and she was aptly waving her arms in upset. Better yet, was why was she already home?

Kagome's feet creaked along the floor and she peeked around the banister. "Morning, Sango." She said quietly, feeling those wide, disappointed eyes fall on her. "You alright?"

"_NO_!" She whined, pointing the remote at the television, damning it with vigorous waving. "They killed my favorite character! Why did they have to kill Shoji? Tell me what was so wrong about him being happy for once!" She continued, thunking back into the sofa.

Kagome shrugged her shoulder and looked at the floor. "I don't know. I don't watch your show, so can you tell me why you're home so early?"

Sango tossed her blanket aside and stood tall, wearing a sheer tank top and bathing suit top. "I finished early, is all. They hired a new instructor for the morning shift, so I get to leave before noon. It's pretty awesome." She said, brushing the sandy remains from her frayed shorts. "When did you get in last night?"

Kagome's heart jumped out of rythym, "It wasn't _too_ late. Everything in town was closing, so it was probably around one or so." She said vaguely, watching Sango's mouth trying not to quirk.

"Oh? I saw InuYasha this morning and he was pretty tight-lipped about everything. He seemed like he didn't want to talk to me, which I guess I've give him every reason not to. Still, " She said, bounding into the kitchen. "_Someone _needs to tell me what's going on. _Kagome._"

The girl felt blood rush to her skin, hugging her arms around her chest as though it would control the pressure in her stomach. "_Well_," Kagome exaggerated, slowly ushering herself to the door. "That's why I'm glad you're home. First, would you like to go shopping with me?"

Sango fought the orange bowl for her wristlet and aptly slipped on her sandals. "Duh." She said, grabbing her friend's arm as they headed outside. "You need to spill it."

"At first it was fine," Kagome said, hiding her eyes from the daunting blaze of the sun as it cruelly greeted them with its heavy morning glow. "We took his bicycle into town, got some food at one of the carts and then I was deliberately thrown, clothes and all into the ocean."

Sango gaped her mouth, shielding her eyes with her hand. "He doesn't know that you suck at swimming, right? I don't even think you own a suit aside from your school required one."

"I don't," Kagome confirmed as they climbed up the sand dune, prickling the sides of their feet with the dried out foliage. "But, one thing lead to another and _I_ kissed him. I feel kind of bad because I don't think he really expected me to." She said, trying to be sullen was hard when a smile began creeping up her face.

"I'm surprised that you're being an instigator." Sango chided, "I've basically tormented him about asking you out, and there you have it; _You_ took the proverbial bull by the horns." She made a gesture with her hands and an equally animated the expressions on her face.

"I think that he's going to avoid me, now." Kagome sighed, picking aside of the bustling street as they headed into the shopping district. "I like him so much. I didn't think that I'd feel so," She paused to wring her hands in the air, "so desperate to have him for myself. I didn't have sex with him or anything like that, so don't even give me that look." She scolded.

Sango's face fell slightly, but she knew that her friend wasn't going to just toss her virginity around. She was carefully choosing her moves and motives before anything happened, and it was obvious she didn't know exactly how she felt. "Kagome-chan, I know you. I know that you didn't. Besides, InuYasha's probably going to be all over Miroku later, anyway. He'll probably get a lecture on keeping his hands off of you, but he doesn't realize that doesn't do any good when you feel a certain way."

Kagome nodded against the brackish wind as they both began skimming for a good starting point. "It was like being completely overwhelmed and then when we came home, he just told me to get some sleep and that was it. It was like nothing every happened and that's what's bothering me. I've never gone through this, so I don't know if that's normal, or it's something that I did wrong."

Sango smiled, her eyes focusing on one of the specialty shops, adored with surfboards and various baskets of clothes and shoes. "Come in here and we'll get you a suit, or something. You need to actually enjoy yourself today. You can't let him being afraid, and I garauntee that's what it is, bother you. I give him a hard time, but he's a really good guy. I'm basically like an airborne disease when I'm around him. You just have to know I've dealt with him for a long time now."

Kagome hesitantly accepted the answer as Sango dragged her in the store. Inside, it smelled like coconuts and the sun, and she shuddered at the burst of air cooling her skin. She was going to turn into leather before the end of the summer!

Sango found the Icee machine packed in the corner of the lobby and she indulged in the saccharine flavoring that hit her tongue, turning it blue as they shopped. "God, I love Parrot Ice," She sighed contently, watching Kagome pick and prod at the sundresses and tops on the rack.

"I've never really cared what I'm drinking when I'm thirsty." Kagome quipped, stealing her the cup from her friend. "I don't want to look like I'm walking around in my underwear." She scowled, moving a rail with an assortment of bathing suits.

"Seriously, you're going to have to get over this complex you have."

"What complex?" Kagome scowled bitterly, watching Sango grab a few suits in her size.

"This modesty. There's nothing wrong with you, you aren't fat, you aren't too skinny, you're not a whore, you're not a little girl; this limbo is going to kill you if you don't just pick something that _you _want and not think about what others are going to say about it." Sango pointed her long finger at her and rotated it. "Besides, you need to feel good about yourself."

"I suppose." Kagome said softly, "I can't believe my birthday is coming up, either. I've waited so long for it that now that it's practically here, I'm forgetting that it even mattered to me."

"Ah, first step of growing up is ignoring the fact you're getting older." She said with a chuckle, sifting through the colorful rack with her free hand. Her eyes lit up as she found a suit for her friend. "You're trying this on for me and you can't say no, baby."

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked at the two piece swim suit and blushed. "Sango-chan! You are such a lecher! I think you're boyfriend is rubbing off on you. I can't believe you'd want to see me in that. Shame on you!" She teased, running her fingers over the silky material.

"Girl, I just want you to look nice." Sango shook her head audaciously. "Seriously, though, it's _pink_. You love _pink_. Look," She folded her choices under her arms as she indicated the pattern, "Look, it even has this cute little turquiose stitching."

Kagome let her hands fall in her hands and grabbed it out of her friend's hand. "_Fine_." She grunted, "You are a terrible person for making me question my morals."

"No honey, InuYasha made you question your morals." Sango retorted, following her to the curtain-dressing room. "I'm just making you realize that you probably don't have any."

The girl narrowed her eyes at her obviously jovial friend. "I'm pretty sure that InuYasha was right when it called you a she-devil." She said, jerking the curtain closed behind her.

Sango disappeared behind her own flamboyantly decorated curtain and started making her own choices. Kagome was probably going to put up a fight, but in the end she would win. Sango always won.

**x-x-x**

Down by the bay, InuYasha sat half asleep beneath his umbrella, perched in his chair. It was exactly like Kagome had imagined, save for Miroku was unsafely mounted like an ornament on the side railing of the tall chair. "So, why are you so tired today?" The man asked, watching the women folk play volleyball and slick lotion on their skin.

InuYasha shot him a daring look and closed his eyes again. It really was a wonder they'd let him keep this job, as much as he did nothing. "I was out late with Kagome." He said with a rasp.

Miroku adjusted his glasses and reached in the cooler for a soda. "You know how I feel about that. You're a geezer, InuYasha."

"I'd really like if you refrained from calling my age into account when you were the one that started dating Sango when she was sixteen." He retorted, finally realizing that with his guest, he would have no chance at resting.

His friend let out a mellefluous sigh and fell limp as he cracked open the can. "I suppose that you have me there. Have you been waiting to use that card on me? I feel like you've been suppressing your urge to call me out until something happened. Now, since I'm assuming that it has, I just want you to try to be a gentleman."

"Are you my mother?"

"You sir are trying to take away my masculinity. Just because I let you dye my hair, doesn't mean that you can talk to me like you talk to women." Miroku said poignantly.

InuYasha waved him off and watched a couple of kids throwing shells and sand at some of the women laying out on their towels. Today was going to be awesome. Grabbing the whistle around his neck, he leaned over the railing and blew as hard as he could. Easily, the children caught the warning as they looked up to the chair.

Whining, they dropped their supply of ammunition and grabbed sticks to draw in the sand. InuYasha plopped back down and sighed. He would have much rather stayed home and rolled around in bed all day, hoping that Kagome would have joined him.

All day, until Miroku had shown up unannounced, he had been daydreaming about her and if she would be apt to going to dinner; a real dinner, not a food cart in the middle of the night dinner.

Instead, it was cut short by the realization that he had to drag himself down to the beach and sit for hours beneath the blazing sun for someone to almost drown or start some shit. It wasn't exactly the hardest job, but it was damn boring most of the time.

Miroku kept on about his terrible choices when he finally decided to give in and talk to the poor bastard. He obviously had nothing better to do before work, and his date with Sango was looming over his head like the clouds had on the days prior.

Clearing his throat, InuYasha crossed his legs and adjusted his floppy hat. "Tell me what you want to know." He sighed, reaching down to grab his cigarettes.

Miroku's cherubic face lit up as though he had received a gift. "Oh? This is spectacular. I'm so pleased that you want to talk to me." He admitted, a bit too giddy. "I suppose it's just really what your intentions are, and how you feel. You know the things that you never talk about."

InuYasha rolled his eyes, inhaling the first chemical drag. "It's bad enough that I have to be hounded by Sango every time I turn around, but I like her. Fuck it. I like Kagome for some unknown reason and I just want to spend some time with her before I can't. Sorry."

"You look like you're about to vomit." Miroku pointed out, smirking at his friend's admittance. "I guess it took more out of you to say that than I thought. I won't pry deeper into your personal affairs, for I would be embarrassed to have to share mine."

"You openly share that sort of shit even if we don't want to know." InuYasha retorted, absently flicking his cigarette off the chair. It must have caught on the wind, for he heard a hissing noise nearby and he froze.

"You just assaulted the people you're supposed to protect! I hope they fire you." Miroku snorted, watching the man scramble down the ladder. One hand held onto his megaphone as he found his unintentional victim and he grimaced.

When he looked up from the small woman, rubbing the back of her arm, he saw Sango standing tall over her. Her lean, muscular arms were crossed over her chest defiantly as she scowled. "You just fucking burned Kagome, you dumbass."

InuYasha furrowed his brows, double-taking the small pink suit decorating her body. A blush settled on his features and he let out a grieving sigh. "Let me see it." He said, grabbing at the girl's pale arm.

When she turned to him, her arm was slung over her body, protecting the newness of her exposure. She didn't look him in the eye, instead pouted and sought after the small burn mark near her shoulder.

"It's really not bad, it just scared me." Kagome muttered, while Sango spotted her boyfriend's figure, hanging over the side of the rail. She shot InuYasha a menacing glance and climbed up the latter for a better view of the disaster.

"Um, sorry about that." InuYasha scowled, rubbing the back of his bare neck. "I didn't mean to burn you, or anyone else. I just kind of got in it with Miroku. Let me get some ointment or something, bandaids, um... I'll be right back."

As he turned around, Miroku shucked done his small first aid kit. Sango still stared at him, waiting for him to make a move and not be such a baby. She hadn't made her get that suit for nothing.

Kagome chewed at her lip as he harrumphed at the woman above him. She was about to say something when a pair of strong, calloused hands landed on her shoulders. Snapping around, she saw Koga, shirtless and buried beneath large sunglasses.

InuYasha's expression fell when he saw his hands land on her and he fought the urge to through the kit at his face. "What the hell are you doing here?" He griped, waving an arm in distaste.

Koga grinned confidently, brushing a hand over Kagome's exposed waist, making her recoil inwardly. Her arm fucking burned, why did this have to happen? "I was just admiring how lovely Kagome looked out of her uniform when I saw you assault her with your vile cigarette."

InuYasha's eye twitched, as a hand grabbed his megaphone. The wind kicked his hat of his head as he held it up to his mouth and flipped on the switch. "This is official lifeguard business!" He barked through the magnified static.

Kagome covered her ears, while Koga smirked and pulled his badge from around the backside of his neck. "I'm a paramedic, I've got this." He said, waving the lanyard in his face.

Sango dragged her fingers down her face, making quite the unattractive "This plan has backfired face." Miroku held her arms and leaned over her. "Oh! That must be the man that was all up in his face the other day. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, but he does have a nice smile."

Sango nodded slightly, "I just hope that Kagome doesn't start crying. She hates confrontation."

It didn't take long for people to stop and stare openly at the disagreement. Kagome shook her head at the both of them and grabbed the kit from InuYasha's hands, walking away to the shade cast by the umbrella. "I'm not dealing with this today." She quipped, plopping down crosslegged in the sand to apply the ointment and a Hello Kitty bandaid.

Koga let out a sigh and moved the megaphone away from his face. "Please just let me take care of the lady before she gets an infection and I have to cart her off to the hospital." He said dramatically.

InuYasha glowered, blowing his bangs from his eyes. "You can't be serious. That's just a little epidermis burn, she's not going to die."

"You're very insensitive." Koga snapped, looking at the girl with a smile.

Kagome rolled her eyes and walked over towards the two of them, knowing that they would never let the other have the last word. Diffusing the situation seemed the best thing she could do, anyway. She just wanted to have some fun today and maybe force herself back into the ocean, not babysit two man-children.

"Koga," She said softly, pressing a crooked smile across her lips. "Can you come with me for a second?"

Sweetly, she took his arm when he nodded. InuYasha's expression stalled somewhere in between upset and disgust; leaving him looking dumb as Kagome let the man further down the beach.

Sango clicked her tongue when she saw his face and she slumped down where he couldn't see her. Miroku shook his head and rubbed his temples. "I'm glad I have to go to work in a few minutes, otherwise I would be wrapped up in the mess that you're about to be wrapped up in."

"I really don't understand why this is such a big deal." Sango shrugged, "Kagome really doesn't like that guy, from what I understand."

"InuYasha probably doesn't realize it and he's going to be an asshole to us and probably Kagome today." He sighed, placing a kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. "This is exactly why I didn't want him to be involved with her. He's going to start whining and I just..."

"I'll punch him in the face for you." Sango said sweetly, shooing the man away as he laughed. Her eyes fell on Kagome, in the opposite direction and she could tell she wasn't happy. Her arms flew around her and her face was sweetly conveying her distaste of the situation.

InuYasha had started heading up the ladder when she stopped him. "Hey," She said, looking down at his rosy face. His eyes were ablaze with displeasure and she snapped her fingers at him. "Give me the megaphone and give me your whistle." She said quickly.

InuYasha sighed and furrowed his brows at her. "Why the hell do you want my shit?"

"So you can go get your woman." Sango replied, jerking the whistle from around his neck.

The man scowled and resented the fact that he handed over the megaphone. He loved that thing as though it was his child. With a sigh, he mumbled a rare _thanks_ and barreled through the sand dunes.

Sango grabbed his sunglasses and slid them on, watching him plow Koga down and roll down towards the beach. Kagome tried to keep her laughter from surging from her throat. It hurt so badly to see his face as he came out of nowhere. She was so mad! Yet, as she watched InuYasha huff and puff on his way back, grabbing her in his arms, she melted against him.

There was a bit of chivalry still left in the world, it seemed. It just wasn't as practical as it was made out to be. Kagome smirked against his chest as he took her to an emptier part of the shoreline. All of those feelings she had felt the night before came rushing back, slapping her across the face.

InuYasha was struggling beneath her, feeling more of her against him than he had the previous night. He wanted her and wanted those long legs wrapped around him. He could still taste her sweetness on his tongue and it made him almost lose his balance as he sat her down.

The water rushed over her feet as she smiled up at him, hair kissed with salty breeze and skin glowing in the warm sun. She splashed the foamy water on him and he flinched at the cold. Innocently enough, he placed her on his shoulders and took her out as far as he could, dragging her atop the water so she could feel free.

When her fear had overridden every other emotion, he helped her build a sandcastle and pick up shells. It was something he'd never really done as an adult and it was nice to make cave monsters out of the seaweed forests.

Sango was probably still watching and he knew the satisfaction she probably felt. It was almost disheartening to know that someone was watching these displays of affection. They were so simple and so genuine that he felt badly for exposing himself to this kind of torment.

Kagome was smiling at him, laughing in the adorable way that she did. Her hands were covered with tiny granuals of sand and her mind as far away from the burn and from Koga as it possibly could have been.

He was about to take her back towards his chair and give her a towel and send her home before she burned, but instead, Kagome took his hands and wrapped them around her. He flinched as he felt her warm mouth kiss the hollow of his troat, her body struggling on the tips of her toes.

His fingers pressed the soft flesh near her spine and she leaned up to his ear the best she could and swallowed hard. She had been contemplating asking him, but it was better now than ever, she thought. "Can you teach me everything?" She said in a hushed tone.

Kagome thought she would have been more embarrassed, but InuYasha had a harder time wrapping his head around what she had just asked him; in the middle of the day, the day after they had kind of had a date, in the middle of the daily afternoon rush of teenagers and fisherman.

Yet, in that moment it was still and he ignored everything, the sound of the ocean, the screaming, and the way a crab at pinched the side of his foot. He bit his lip and felt the blush on his skin as Kagome eyed him precariously.

Softening his breathing, he rested his forehead against hers and looked her in the eye. She swallowed hard as the disappointment started to rise and her nerves began to quake. She'd blown it, she scowled to herself.

On the contrary, InuYasha ran his hand up her back and cupped the back of her neck, steadying her glistening body straight. "Do you trust me?"

"You know I do." Kagome said, eyes half-lidded as she lost herself in the blinding sunlight. "I don't think you'll actually hurt me. I just want it to be you. I've thought about you all day and I can't imagine not being able to be with you just once. I don't want to regret this trip and I don't want to have to hide anymore. You don't have to answer me now, because I don't even know why I'm saying all of this."

InuYasha gripped her tighter and lifted her up, legs latching around his waist. He tried to keep his thoughts clear and he carefully placed a hidden kiss along her collarbone. She really didn't have to ask for that, but he didn't know if he couldn't actually go through with it.

He had felt guilt eat at him when they came home and he had kept his distance for his own reasons and he didn't love her and that's what she deserved. He _could _easily love her. As he began to walk her back towards the more packed part of the beach, he set her feet down on the swampy sand and looked away from her.

Kagome distraught as he had give her no answer. It was silent the rest of the walk back and she held herself in dismay. She couldn't read his stoic expression, but she saw Koga sneering with one of his friends as they walked by. Not at her, but at his competition and she sighed in exhausted.

Her heart was aching for something, anything to let her know that she hadn't screwed up. And, before she had any time to question herself further, InuYasha leaned down and whispered softly to her. "At least let me take you to dinner first."

The girl cupped her face as she lead her hands into her hair. She was so relieved and so content that she looked up at him, hormones throbbing violently. "Well, you really need to get on the ball. I mean, Koga would probably really like to take me out."

InuYasha stiffened and narrowed his eyes at her. "You are such a handful. I never knew that that sweet and innocent little facade you had was really just a house for a woman." He pointed out, feeling her hand brush against his fingers.

A smirk fell on her face as she saw Sango munching on a bag of chips, much obliged to be the hawk eying her prey.

"Well, I think I'm going to go home and get cleaned up." She said, watching the lanky man awkwardly shift from foot to foot. She was certain he was anxious and rolling over the very idea of having sex with her. It was either out of pity, or his sincere fondness of her, she was sure.

"Be ready when I get home." Was all InuYasha said as he climbed up the chair, sending Sango down the stairs with a grimace.

When her eyes fell on Kagome, she grinned and linked her arm with hers. There was more said without speaking as they made their way home. Sango was aware that Kagome was changing and it was what she needed, she just hoped she understood what would happen when the time came to leave.

There was going to be a much needed powow at some point, she just hoped it wasn't too late.


	10. Puncture

**N: **_I'm heavily editing the last chapter. I didn't realize I had made so many mistakes and it's driving me mad. Haha. Missing five keys really does put a damper on things. There's only going to be a handful of chapters left to this story and longer chapters at that. _

_I've figured out how I want it to end and have an epilogue already lined up. As for anyone reading Secrets, I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how I want to wrap it up. I'm probably going to go back and condense it and rewrite basically everything to make it cleaner. _

_I'm probably going to do a clean up of my page and repost a lot of my edits in place of original chapters. I suppose it's a part of being a writer. I want to improve and I'm thankful that I do have readers and reviewers that are so wonderful and enthusiastic and overlook my faults as an author. _

_I wanted to state that in the following chapters, Kagome is going to be going through several changes and there will be a few time jumps to indicate her growth, as well as the growth of the other characters in her life. Writing this really reminds me of how I first fell in love and how 9 years later, I still am. I'm sorry for the severely long AN, but I just wanted to let everyone know of the upcoming changes to my work and how much it means to me that you've all stuck around and have been so gracious._

_Thank you again,_

_love Jiru._

Puncture.

_**Please go to youtube and listen to Elefant "**__**Lolita**__**". This first half of this chapter was inspired by this song and I just adore Elefant. :)**_

Excitement teemed beneath her skin, making her aware of her body and the thin frills of her dress upon it. She had never been on a _real_ date. Saying that Hojo had counted was severely understating it. Sure, he had taken her out and...

Kagome adjusted her bottom on the leather booth with a scrunched expression. _It was a date_, she conceeded as InuYasha sat across from her, drinking a pint of Kirin. Tonight was more romantic to her than the walk on the pier and the mish-mosh of conversation she had had with the boy.

Hell, even as she playfully made a show of the slippery, runny butter on her fingers, she realized _this _was her idea of a date. InuYasha let her talk about nonsense and her favorite pop bands, and various casual things. They were things that he had already heard her talk about, but she was alive with her adoration for them.

For being as nervous as she was, Kagome pressed on like a professional and skipped the greenery she used to blend into for much more elaborate ideas of herself. InuYasha was comforting with the ways he chose to look at her and she had flittered her feet next to his quite a bit.

When he caught her, he smirked and picked at her food as a payment for her intrusion. Sitting here with her, even in the smoky atmosphere and darkly stained walls, he had almost but forgotten of Kikyo and his remorse. She was probably enjoying herself, as well and he couldn't begrudge the decisions they had made.

Slyly, as Kagome was stealing the faintest of tastes of his beer, which left her grasping for her lemonade, InuYasha openly grabbed her hand and held it; butter and all.

Immediately, she raised her outlined eyes and blinked like it had truly been a surprise. The man shrugged beneath his fitted suit jacket, "Seriously? You're gonna get all rosy cheeked on me over _this_?" He chuckled, raising their hands off the lacquered table.

Kagome turned away and pouted, "You know that you're a snake?" Her eyes batted involuntarily and she grinned to herself as she brought her attention back to her decimated dinner plate.

There weren't many fancy places in town, aside from the local breweries and the upscale fish-market diner. Kagome wasn't privy to those things and he took her to a small restaurant nearest the bay. There was something so refreshing about being on their own and enjoying each others company in a controlled setting.

It may have been the fact that InuYasha knew what she had wanted and resigned to making it as difficult as possible to let her have it. Truly, as he polished off his drink and waited for the tab, he felt a bit ill at the idea of simply bedding her for the sake of doing it. Hell, with Kikyo, they had grown up and experienced each other so many times that it had become second nature to want her.

Yet, every time his eyes fell on Kagome, he wanted to feel that anguish of waiting and want her so badly that he would suffer to have her. Maybe it was a mistake letting her control him the other night, or even premature. As he unlatched their sweaty palms, he heard her audibly sigh.

He raised his eyes to hers, and saw something odd beneath the low glow of the light, which hung like a star above her head. She was _thinking_ and it made him nervous as he forked over a stack of money for their dinner.

As he stood tall, he stretched his jean covered legs and Kagome giggled at his little red tie, as she had when she first saw him come down stairs. Taking her hand, he escorted her out into the golden evening, heavily colored with ruby and violet arms.

Her eyes caught the hues and reflected them as though her eyes were diamonds. He couldn't help but stare at her in that doll-like dress she had worn when he first met her. There was that innocence, that damning sense of how wrong it was to do this.

It always came creeping back and it made him wonder why he was fighting it. He couldn't help this and he sure as hell wasn't giving into his guilt. He was having far too much fun with her and this racetrack which had beseiged his mind was about to have a fiery crash.

For a moment, InuYasha ran his thumb over hers, watching her body sway beneath the fabric. He had seen so much of her in the afternoon that he wanted to remove the fucking thing and just see _her_. Conflicted as he was, he lead her down a side path until he found a shaved ice stand, with the name shoddily painted on drift wood.

The girl was obviously excited and ran like a child to the vendor. A small red-headed boy, with freckles adorning his cheeks, hopped upon a stool and put on his flimsy paper hat. He could have been no more than ten, and Kagome knelt down with her arms on the small tray to peer inside.

His little cheeks rose when he saw her smiling and he blushed. "What c-can I get you ma'am?" He asked with the tiniest voice she had ever heard.

InuYasha stood with his hands in the pockets, attempting to read the menu board in the murky corner. He listened intently as Kagome ordered a combination of flavors and the boy quickly teetered around the key-lock register and made her a messy shaved ice.

"Where's your boss?" InuYasha asked with a quirk of his brows.

The little boy's eyes fell on him, as if inspecting him. "My parents are busy and they let me watch the stand. I'm old enough to make these things. It's fun." He said delightfully handing Kagome her order.

"How much is that?" InuYasha quipped, trying to get a few bills from his wallet. But, the little boy smiled warmly at Kagome and as smitten.

"For her it's free. For _you_, it'll be 700 yen." He smirked, crossing his thin arms over his chest.

The man rubbed his temples and leaned over the counter, shooting Kagome a hazardous glance. "See, if I was pretty as you are I'd get free shit, too." He said, still tipping the runt for his effort and the job he did on his ice.

"You can keep the extra if you don't make eyes at my girlfriend," InuYasha chided, ruffling the kid's mussed hair.

Kagome blushed and waved at the little boy as they left. "I really hope that he finds a nice girl when he's old enough." She said, still reeling over the fact that she was apparently someone's girlfriend.

InuYasha snickered and down his refreshment in haste. "Needs to stop hoping for you." He said quickly, grabbing her up his arms as he had the night on the beach. Her legs jostled over his arms as she tried to keep her dress from getting red and yellow stains on it.

"I suppose I'm really you're girlfriend, now?" Kagome beamed, trying her best to keep her smile from widening, as he looked at her oddly.

"I guess so." He shrugged, cautiously checking the tone of his voice.

The rest of the evening they pittled around the shops and the docks where he'd kissed her and staved off her wandering hands. He had been breathless, more so than her, by the time they made it home as night the night fell like a celestial blanket.

He kicked the door open behind him, fighting against the frevor of her kiss and hands tugging against his button up shirt. She was aching and her heart pounded against his chest as he somehow guided them up the stairs.

His coat and tie were lost in the moment, as well as Kagome's chunky shoes. This ravenous display came as no surprise. She was still a virgin, caving to her body's call for more and the yearning for it to be filled.

The moment they had kissed, a charge electrified them and left their bodies racked with this tempestuous need of closeness. Kagome's lips were swollen when the broke their connection, only to slam the door and fall upon her large bed, lost in the sheets.

InuYasha pulled at her dress, slipping it over her head, soothing the burning on her skin. The darkness in the room blended with the blackness of her spilling hair. She smelled like musk and vanilla, drowning him beneath the layers of her.

His hands dug into her sides, feeling the bones beneath her supple flesh. He needed her closer, needed to indulge. Kagome panted against him, pressing her breasts against his chest, warming his sternum with her softness.

A moan ripped from his throat as he thrust against her, grabbing her bottom to press her against his hardened state. The friction against his jeans made her yelp and raise her head, hands planting on either side of him. She moved with him, gasping for oxygen.

He rolled her over, feeling her jerk his belt awkwardly in an attempt to pull it off. When she failed, her fingers snapped his button and slid his jeans down his thighs, letting him feel her dampness through their thin guard of under garments.

They were blind to the shuffling sounds outside of their door. Kagome arched her throat, holding his head in the valley of her breasts, feeling his short breaths on her skin. Each strangled cry and grunt and groan made her legs quiver. Her heart thrummed in her ears, blocking out the whistling wind and songs the ocean sang.

Her eyes half-lidded and lost, stared at the ceiling blankly. Thin fingers wound in InuYasha's gossamer hair, heading every stroke against her body against the coarseness of the pads on his fingers.

"I want you so bad, Kagome." InuYasha groaned, gripping to the backs of her thighs as he brushed against her core.

The girl parted her mouth, silently hissing at the sensation. Her eyes fell shut as she forced her broken voice to formulate a string of words, which mostly was the syllables of his name. Her shaking hands brought him back to her for a sweltering kiss. All of that newness and insecurity was lost somewhere in the back of her head, lingering for the another time.

InuYasha aquiested and searched her mouth lovingly, throwing his lanky arms around her small body, rolling her on their sides. The bed creaked against the floor, singing boldly against the annoying metal coils.

As he stopped to take a breath, InuYasha closed his eyes, brushing Kagome's hair behind her ear. "We need to stop." He said abruptly, not wanting to see the expressive upset that was surely littered across her face.

Furrowing her brows, Kagome licked her lips, still aching for him. Her legs coiled together and applied pressure at their hilt and she sighed softly. Closing her eyes, she reopened them to find his cast downward at the sliver of distance between their bodies. "It's alright, InuYasha." She heaved, scrambling for a blanket to cover up the new found chill in the room.

A half-hearted smirk creased his lips as he kissed her, relishing in the warmth of the blanket curling over him. "You don't want to rush this." He said plainly, finding his intentions to be more honorable than he originally thought. "You don't deserve to just jump the gun and have sex with me; I still can't believe I'm actually saying this shit." He rubbed his face, peeking at Kagome's crooked smile as she hugged a pillow beneath her head.

"This is why I trust you." Kagome cooed, reaching a hand out to twirl a strand of his hair around her finger. The moon crept into their room, lighting up the darkness with a cool light. She inspected how spectacularly his golden eye shown in the hazy glow.

"You're too innocent." He admitted, swallowing down her flavor. He rolled his eyes closed feeling a jerk in his abdomen and it made him gasp inwardly. Aftershocks always were the worst, he thought bitterly. "I'd feel bad if I did anything to you. I feel kind of bad jumping all over you just now."

Kagome frowned and sucked in a tight breath. "You can't treat me like that. I _asked_ for this. I _wanted _this. I want _you_." She said directly, finding this boldness to be kind of liberating. "I'm not going to live forever and I'll regret it if I don't try. I already told you that. If you really don't want to be with me then fine. I can always..."

"Move on?" InuYasha asked, adjusting himself to where he could see her more clearly. "You have no idea what that means. You realize that I do care about you, and I do want you. I wanted you the moment I saw you, but I just sucked it up and shoved that shit down so not to cause a bunch of trouble. So, don't think for a moment it's because I don't want you, Kagome."

A chill ran down her spine, "I know." She sighed, "I know that..."

"Kagome, just shut up." InuYasha murmured, grabbing the back of her head to pull her into another round of kisses. Each one was slow, agonzing as she finally fell asleep in his arms. He laid awake, listening to her snoring, which often kept him awake and mentally patted himself on the back for being a decent person.

Outside, Sango slumped next to the door on baited breath. Miroku's hand cupped to the wood like a suction cup and he tried to suppress a laugh. The girl quickly, and quietly slid on her bottom until she tumbled over on her knees.

The boy followed suit and they quietly rushed down stairs like children on Christmas Eve, too afraid to be caught for peeking at their gifts. Once downstairs, the two of them flipped on the television and hid beneath the quilt before laughing.

They were terrible, but in that loving sense that only a friend could be. Sango too the high road and grinned like a wild cat, "You know, I think that this may end up being harder on him than it is on her." She said cheekily, flicking her dark eyes over her boyfriend's rosy cheeks.

Miroku sighed and slung an arm over the woman and held her close. "He's so much more noble than I would have thought it would be. I mean, he certainly wasn't with Kikyo, so this is a surprise." His thick brows perked up above his glasses and he eyed Sango.

"We're never saying a word. I feel bad that we were eavesdropping. Shouldn't we just leave them alone?" She asked.

For a moment, Miroku pondered the question and resounded with a simple "No."

She was about to retort and call him all sorts of horrible names when there was a soft knock at the door. Furrowing her brows, she looked at Miroku as she got up. "Were you expecting any company?"

Miroku followed her, curious as well. "No, my dearest, I don't know who it could be. I don't want anyone trying to steal my beautiful woman, so let me answer it." He said, passing in front of her.

When he opened the creaky old door, he was pleasantly surprised to see Koga standing there with a bouquet of roses and a card. He was obviously wearing a blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. "Oh, hello Koga." Miroku greeted, inviting him in the doorway out of propriety's sake.

Sango waved awkwardly and zipped into the kitchen, quickly grabbing her phone, pretending to be occupied.

"Um, thanks for letting me in. Is Kagome home?" Koga asked, eyes apologetic and dark in the light.

Miroku looked up the stairs and back at the rugged man, dressed casually in his plain shirt and jeans. "I believe she's sleeping. Would you like for me to wake her?" He asked cautiously.

Sango's eyes perked up and she shook her head wildly. Cringing, she heard Koga's deep voice bluster with a firm, "I-I don't know if I want you to bother her if she's asleep."

Relief washed over her as he handed her boyfriend the flowers. "I'll give her these and let her know you came by. I'm sure she can't still be upset about today. I know that things have been different for her since she got here."

Koga rubbed the back of his neck and let a frown capture his face. "I don't know what it is, but I really like her and I just don't want to be that kind of ass because she's got that..." He paused trying to figure out the word, when Sango piped up.

"You're looking for _asshole_." She said snidely, seeing both of the men tilt their heads in silent agreement.

"Um, yeah." Koga laughed bruskly, thanking Miroku again before exiting the door. When the door was shut, and Sango no longer saw him in the window, she ran into the living room and grabbed the card out of Miroku's hand.

"That's not for you!" He cried, "These are obviously for _me_." He chided, receiving a slap on the shoulder, as the card was easily removed from the unsealed envelope.

Sango slapped her hands across her eyes and lolled her head back after she read it. "I would totally drop my panties for this guy if I got this." She said in disbelief.

Miroku's large eyes widened as he placed the roses on the counter. "My, this is pretty romantic. I never knew that Kagome's eyes were like '_molten pools of silver, waiting to be molded into stars'._ I just thought they were grey."

"Obviously, you need to go through whatever poetry class he was in and write me something equally as nice about me." Sango replied, staring at the man with narrowed eyes.

With a scoff, Miroku grabbed her hand, careful not to marr the envelope. "Sango, you're eyes are like a cleverly written story, in which I can see the depth of your emotions, as they are written plainly on your face."

The woman rolled her eyes and placed a soft kiss upon his cheek. "You are so full of shit." She said with a grin. The envelope and card found a home next to the roses and were left unattended as Miroku guided her back to the sofa.

The rest of the night was calm, soothing on the soul as they watched their shows. The eagerness of the morning routine had slowly fizzled out once they had realized it was well past midnight when they had retired.

Before bed, Sango had, upon her own liberities, opened InuYasha and Kagome's door to check on them. When did she become so motherly? She wondered as she slinked back in her room since her _children _were tucked in and safe.

**x-x-x**

The days that followed were filled with shy smiles and passing glances from their differential posts along the beach front. Kagome, in particular, had been smothered by the roses she had received and hid them from InuYasha. It was the first time she'd gotten flowers from _anyone_ and she wasn't going to let _who _they were from get them destroyed.

And that certain someone had shown up at her job everyday since. She'd been delicate, attentive as she listened to him try to woo her with his flattering words and gruff voice. Yet, she declined his offers as politely as she could and he disappointedly returned the next day to try again and again.

Kagura had laid off of her once she realized that she was claimed territory and commended her on making a good choice, even though she only said it the one time. She couldn't let her reputation be ruined by having a heart and caring and all.

Kagome had more or less been surprised and skipped along on her merry way, until night time when her processes were much more reliant on her emotions. She and InuYasha had taken themselves out on a few more dates as her birthday drew near, and he bought her a small gift; one she wasn't allowed to see or have until her birthday.

The only thing she knew of it was that it was something that she had _wanted_. Having that word slung around over the past week was torturous. A few nights InuYasha even slept on the sofa to not utterly cave to his desires. She had been upset, but what could she do? It was his choice to do so and if she had intruded, he would have stowed away in the middle bedroom and locked himself in.

Sango had finally told the girl about their eavesdropping, but it was pretty obvious she was more amused by it than anything. At least, they hadn't heard the display of affection only moments earlier and fairly much accepted the nosiness of living in the tight quarters.

Kagome and Miroku ended up finally being at the house alone and played video games and ate her stash of candy while Sango was working at job number two, as a hostess at one of the diners in town. InuYasha had been gone more often than not and it made the girl worrisome.

On the night before her birthday, Kagome sat at the table, fumbling around with the dinner that Miroku had made her, well that the oven had heated up, and a slab of cake Sango had baked. The two of them sat side by side at the bar, fighting the crumbling chocolate and pizza mess.

InuYasha had promised her he would be home early tonight and take her out to do something special. She was more than happy to eat her worries away with her friend until he got there, however. Miroku was making a masterpiece out of his cake slice, gradually whittling away eat layer until it formed a heart.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him as the door flung open, revealing InuYasha's drenched body. He held a plastic bag, soaked against his skin and the girl jumped up to grab a towel. Miroku smirked, helping him keep himself from dragging water all over the clean floor.

"Downpour?" Miroku asked, taking the bag and thunking it down on the counter.

InuYasha shivered and shucking off his thin jacket on the floor. "Pretty much. I was half way home and then this shit happened." He gestured to his clothes and his stringy hair. "Are you gonna, um, go see Sango in a bit?"

Miroku shrugged his shoulder and let out a sigh. "Not if I'm going to drown." He popped a pepperoni in his mouth and moved to the living room, while Kagome came bolting down the stairs with the towels. InuYasha took one and srubbed his head as he watched her anxious expression.

She must have been going crazy waiting for him. She was flushed and her eyes lit up as she helped him peel out of his soaked clothing, which clung to his frame like a second skin. Over the week, she had become less embarrassed by his near nudity and simply admired him as he dried off.

"So," The girl said, sitting down on _their _unmade bed. "Where have you been all day?" She asked softly, reaching for the lamp on her nightstand. The amber light kissed InuYasha's tanned flesh and brightened his eyes.

He shrugged at her as he took it upon himself to plop down beside her and grab at her hand. "I had to take care of somethings and make sure your gift was ready." He said softly, pulling her down on her side.

Shuddering, the man watched the way her nose crinkled and her eyes laid heavily upon him as though he only existed for her. "You know I don't need anything gifts." She said honestly, feeling his warm breath on her face. "I just want you."

InuYasha brushed a hand over her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss, winding his hands in her silky hair. "You're still on that?" He smirked, feeling her hands press against his bare chest, feeling his clammy skin.

Kagome smiled knowingly and pushed herself away and held up a finger. Downstairs, he found Miroku slumped over on the couch asleep. A burning need erupted in her veins, as she quickly shut the door behind her. Locking it, she leaned against it and caught her breath.

InuYasha furrowed his brows at her and flinched at the abrupt clap of lightning. It tore through the house and made the electricity flicker. Kagome had never made it from point A to point B as quickly as she did in that moment and was buried beneath her blanket. "I honestly hate thunderstorms sometimes!" She whined, "Mother Nature never gives good presents." She continued.

InuYasha chuckled at her and climbed on his knees to pull the curtains closed. "Here, this'll make you feel a bit better."

The girl hestitantly watched him slither back down beside her and flip off the lamp light, blinding her in the darkness. Her hands searched for his body as he crept beneath the covers, spooning her against him. Resting his head on her shoulder, he brushed his mouth against her ear. "Aren't you supposed to be all grown up?" He teased.

The girl pouted and shivered at the sensation. "You're just being mean, now." She retorted, involuntarily letting her body adjust to his. She relaxed and felt his lips press against a bare spot on her neck and she closed her eyes.

"Still?" He murmured seductively, "You should be thankful I'm such a bastard." He smirked against her skin, slipping a hand beneath the hem of her t-shirt. When she flinched, he pressed harder, finding her arching into him.

A small whimper escaped her, adventurously letting her hand slip behind her to touch him. Her finger slid around the waistband of his boxers, a fear that she had conquered in earlier days. He jerked against her grasp as she slowly moved her hand along his smooth length.

His nose nuzzled into her back as she brushed her thumb over the tip, carefully inspecting the silky skin. She enjoyed feeling his body react to her and it made her own body swell. After a few moments, he removed her shirt and cupped her soft breast in his hands. He moved against her minstrations softly, lulling himself into a half-alert state.

Kagome gasped as he rolled his fingers over her beaded nipples and arched her back. She had begged him over and over to have her and he declined. Each night was a deeper exploration than the one prior, but this night there was nowhere else to go.

Feeling empty, the girl took her free hand and unzipped her jeans, easily sliding them off. She moved his hand from her chest down to her aching core and pressed his fingers in the damp crevice. She needed to feel more of him than just the exterior and any movement close to being inside of her was justified.

This was the milestone she had waited for and she waited on stolen breath to have him finally submit himself to her. She had never been so willful about anything and to have him stroke her sensitive spots with such gentleness, made it clear that he would be equally as cautious when they finally accepted the inevitable.

As the thunder roared above the raging tide, Kagome moaned into the darkness, swallowing any sense of herself she had. InuYasha resisted the urge to manhandle her as he flipped her over on her back.

She stared at him for a moment before meeting him halfway with a kiss. Pressing himself against her, she felt the smoothness of his member slide across her panties and she aptly removed them. He had tended to her needs and finally relented.

Pressing his forehead against hers, she was drowned by a wet, black halo and he smiled crookedly as he caught his breath. Kagome's thumb ran across his cheek as he softly kissed her and absorbed the last bit of her innocence. A sadness washed over him as he fumbled with the drawer on the nightstand and raised off of her on his knees.

Kagome raised up, watching his movement and held her breath. When he pulled out the small square box and ripped it open with the resonance of tearing paper, she began to feel her nerves shatter.

Settling the box on the night stand, InuYasha rested in front of her and tried to read her expression. "You okay?" He asked, watching her ease back against her pillow, accepting what was about to happen.

The girl hadn't thought about if it would hurt or not all the other times, she just went with what her body begged of her and now, as she coiled her fingers nervously, she knew that InuYasha had been trying to prevent _this_.

_This _hesitance and awkward stance she held as her heart leapt to her throat. The man grabbed her hand and tore the package open with his teeth. Sliding it out, he showed her how to slip it over his length and took a deep breath as he pulled the covers back and rested in between her trembling legs.

A heavy hand brushed back her bangs, and pressed away the worried lines in her forehead. Silently, he replaced the covers and readied himself. "This is it." He breathed, feeling her thighs tense on his legs.

"I'm scared now, I've had too much time to think about it." Kagome said with a partial laugh. Through the murky dark, she saw his softened expression and he leaned upon his elbows above her.

"You don't have to." He said earnestly, kissing the tip of her nose.

Kagome closed her eyes and reached down, feeling the extra, slick layer on the familiar part of his body. Inching it closer to her entrance, she stared at him hazily and swallowed. "I want this. I really do." She said quietly, gripping her hands to his strong arms as he slid into her slowly.

Involuntarily, she arched her back, mouth ajar at the stretching presence inside of her. InuYasha groaned as she clenched around him and halted on his shaking hands. "Relax, Kagome. It'll hurt more if you don't." He soothed, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

Her flushed face was glowing in the darkness as he felt her ease up on him and he began to slowly move in and out of her. Her arms coiled around him, pulling him closer as he thrust softly into her. Ragged breathing caught the room, dampening the sounds of the world around them. InuYasha wound his fingers in hers and rocked lightly until he felt her move at her own pace.

A sigh ruptured the quiet and he slumped against her, barely moving to drag out the sensation of being so whole. He was falling for her, and had been for weeks. This was what loving _her _felt like and he was happy to lose himself in the green movements her body made in response. Each muffled cry in his shoulder and sweet mewl made him more confident.

Her fingers pressed into his skin as he kissed her, wishing her a happy birthday with a smirk that ate her alive. This was a memory seared into her mind and would forever be branded by the simplest of connections and brought forth by a resurgance of emotions that she could no longer bear on her own.

The languid movements became rigid, stifled with each of his thrusts. Her legs wound around his, pulling him deeper into her. She could stay like this forever, but as it were, it was over as soon as it began and time would no longer stand still for her.

As InuYasha gasped and felt himself unwinding, Kagome found her way to the small bead hidden in her folds. Brushing her fingers over it, she felt like bursting as heat shot through her to her toes and her body squeezed off any resistance left in InuYasha's own body, letting warmth scorch her insides through the layer between them.

Kagome instinctively wrapped her arms around the man, wincing at the emptiness she felt as the moment ended. She wanted him to always be apart of her and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Her innocence was lost in the arms of such a wonderous being. InuYasha lay breathless on her chest, listening to the rapid thumps of her heart against her ribcage.

His hands found hers and held on as tightly as he could. There was nothing left to say, or do. Just existing for a passing moment was enough as lightning flickered past the curtain. Kagome closed her eyes and ran her hands lovingly through his long hair. Whatever tomorrow brings, she didn't care anymore. All she had ever wanted was laying with her in the silence of their room, spellbound by what had become of the child they both knew.


	11. The Fall

**AN: **_BEAST MONSTER CHAPTER._

_I decided that I would post this and one more chapter. I think that it's time for this story to wind down and become one of my favorite pieces. I'm thankful to those who have reviewed and read this and favorited and so forth. My thanks will be in the end chapter and I hope that this isn't too much. _

_Thank you as always, _

_love Jiru._

The Fall.

Wind stole kisses of Kagome's skin as she triumphed over her fear of the water. The early morning of her birthday signified the beginning of a real change, and more awareness to the places she had become stunted.

The current jostled her around as she gripped tightly to the sides of her borrowed wake board. Her bathing suit was chilly as the water bobbed her up and down. She let her hair fall into the waves and held her breath just in case.

InuYasha was holding the string, letting her trembling legs start to move. He was going to teach her how to swim, and she wasn't sure that he would succeed as he had the previous night with making her fall harder for him. She would say love, because she wasn't sure if that's what _this _was, but it was close enough for her to taste the possibilty.

They had been complacent and quiet all morning, until she asked if wanted to come down to the shoreline. He had been content in just reliving the experience; replaying a few of the movements she had made.

Kagome had stayed up most of the night, either joyfully crying or waiting for the clock to countdown the minutes until she was finally an adult. When she noticed her watch hand, the only clock they had left in the room, hit that certain charming set of numbers, she climbed all over him, begging for another hopefully venture.

When he obliged her, she was less conscious and found her way around him comfortably. Needless to say, it was a wonder that her eyes were even open as she floated along the rocking waves. InuYasha had hoped she would have slept in and ignored her daily priorities, but instead found himself waist deep the murky water with her.

For a little while, he pulled her along, instructing her to close her eyes and begin to her arms and legs. When the sun finally peeked over the remains of the dreary clouds, he finally felt it warming up enough to stand behind outside.

Sango was a hundred feet away, or so, demonstrating the proper surfing method for beginners and was yelling above the roaring water. She was so wound up she could barely see straight anymore. Some of the people were getting on her nerves and it was obvious she was about to tell this job to shove it. She had done this almost every year, and she knew what she was talking about.

It just so happened that they all knew what to do and didn't need her yammering on about this and that. When she rode back to land, she tossed her glossy, yellow surfboard on the sand and walked away.

InuYasha furrowed his brows and watched her unzip her bodysuit and shuck it aside as well, revealing her slender figure below her black bathing suit. He placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and jostled her from her half-nap on the board. "I think Sango just quit her job." He sounded a bit surprised.

The girl tried to rub the salty water from her eyes as she span her body in a circle, letting InuYasha lead her closer to the shallow mouth of the bay. "She hated it, I'm happy she finally stopped caring about what those jerks say. They pay her to teach them and then you have to save them later, when you're awake." She said softly, smirking at the appalled expression on his face.

"I'm always awake on my job, keh." The man scoffed nonchalantly, knowing full well she could see right through him. "Most of the time," He added, letting her get up from the shoals.

"You're horrible." Kagome quipped, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around the bare skin that her suit had left exposed. InuYasha grumbled to himself as she covered up, but he didn't really care for the people that had caught peeks at her.

"I'm only horrible when people are trying to make eyes at you." He pointed out, taking her hand. As they retreated back towards the familiar, chipping facades.

Part of him ached to feel her body against his, swelling with need and want. The mystery was gone and left an exciting new course to map out from the things he'd learned. Kagome didn't look quite the same, and effectively, didn't _feel_ the repression she had felt before.

The clouds that loomed in their minds quickly vanished as they found Sango, hunkered down outside of their house, leaning against the stilt foundation. She was drawing a picture in the sand and let out a sigh. She was growing tired of being here and it made her heart sink when she thought of not seeing Miroku for another month, after they departed.

InuYasha placed a kiss a top Kagome's head and let her sink down beside the woman, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Are you alright, Sango-chan?"

The girl sniveled and raised her eyes to hers for a moment, before falling back on the wet sand. "I'm fine, I promise. I'm just having one of those days." She shrugged, watching InuYasha go into the house mindfully.

"Did you just quit your job?" Kagome asked knowingly, brushing a hand through her tangled hair.

Sango chewed at her lip, "Yeah. I don't think I want to stay here anymore. I just got this overwhelming feeling of dread. It's like if I stay here I'll never grow and live my life the way I want to. I know that if I want to be with Miroku, I can't waste my time in another city and only spend this much time with him and then leave again."

Kagome frowned and felt an emptiness eat at her. She had never seen Sango so unsure. She was confident, ready to challenge herself and everyone else. She did understand the want for more and the sheer need of change. "Why don't you move? You can start your college in Osaka, can't you? I know that it would be different, but I'd still come see you." She said honestly.

Sango snapped her eyes back to hers almost ruefully and shook her head. "You would come to see _him_. You would have a place to stay with _him_. I don't want you to use me as an excuse to get what you want when I'm having to work for it." She spat, hands digging into the ground.

Kagome gaped at her, heart crushed by the notion. How could she even have suggested that? Even thinking it was somewhat cruel on her part. Biting back a breath, she finally broke. "You know, I've never argued with you over anything important. We've bickered and cried to each other about our problems, but I'm not like that and you know it. I don't know what will even become of all of _this," _Her damp arms flailed around her as she felt her temper flair. "You can't just assume that I'm only after one thing if I come there. Just because I cared about someone enough to have sex with them doesn't mean that my entire life is just that person!"

Sango pushed herself to her feet and looked over her shoulder, letting the bind out of her hair to let it fall about her shoulders. "You don't realize what's about to happen. You've never listened to me when I told you to prepare yourself." She said quietly, eyes glazed over with unshed tears. "What you're about to go through will make you feel like you're dying. When I first had to leave Miroku, I felt like my heart was being surgically removed without _anything_ to take that feeling away. I waited and waited and waited, just hoping that I could see him."

Kagome balanced herself on the side of the house and dragged her nails down the wooden slats. She didn't say anything as Sango parted her mouth to finish her thoughts.

"You can be mad at me, or hate me for a while, I don't care. I just want to have the courage in me to tell Miroku _yes_ and marry him." She swallowed, finally letting the sheet of tears tumble down her rosy cheeks. "I did everything to see him. I took trips, I ran off, and I did whatever I could to feel like I did that first summer. I'm so jaded that I don't even know which way is up. I can put on a good front, but I sure as hell am not letting this fuck up and you need to know where you stand with him before you leave here. That's the only thing I can tell you. I'm going to have to move on from Tokyo, Kagome. That means leaving you and everything I've always known behind, do you know what kind of power that has over you? Do you?" She yelped, sucking back a hiccup as she rubbed away the mottled splotches on her face.

The girl looked away and clenched her jaw. There was nothing she could say to that. She didn't realize that this was how things were really like beneath the surface. She had a fractional view of something that she had just begun to understand. Whereas Sango, she had lived through years of this and was deeply affected by the volume of things that were left beneath the rug.

"You're right." Was all Kagome could say, nodding her head faintly. She bit her lip and swallowed the breath she had been holding and let it burst out of her as Sango began to calm down.

"I know it's your birthday and I don't want to ruin it with this mess, so I'm going to go and take a nap and pretend it never happened. Summer is almost over and I don't want you to hold yourself back because of something I said, okay?" Sango sighed, trying to fix the contorting along her features.

Slamming the door, Kagome heard Sango yell at InuYasha to get the hell away from her and stormed upstairs. The girl followed a few moments later and held her head down, ruminating over the conversation. She could have said _something_, but held it all it for some stupid reason or another.

No one liked any insight from someone who was still a partially filled in canvas. Glowering, Kagome looked at InuYasha with a questioning glare. She wasn't sure what to make of any of this now and she wasn't going to let the sour taste in her mouth marr the sweetness of the moment.

The girl took his hand and lead him upstairs, where they showered, changed, and quickly removed their clothing again. There was something dreadful in the air, but it was a blur of unimportance when she was pressed against him.

Eagerly, they had spent the rest of the day bustling around town with tired eyes and sore legs. Kagome was eaten up by the sun and was darker than when she had first shown her face at the bay. InuYasha was about the same, casually dressed and indifferent to the world around him. She wasn't sure if he really enjoyed any one thing more than the other, but she knew that he loved the ramen carts and bought him a bowl.

She had been painfully quiet, unwillingly to let Sango's words dribble out of her memory. Fishing around for the last meaty morsel amongst the noodles, Kagome frowned with head in her palm. "Do you know if Miroku is going to be home tonight before dark?" She asked idly, eyes focused on the greasy oil floating in the broth.

InuYasha shrugged and nudged her with his elbow. "So, what's going on with Sango?" He asked plainly, downing a soda.

Kagome sighed softly and raised her glassy eyes to his, seeing the strange emotion bleeding from the two tones. "Sango-chan is lost. She wants something that she's wanted her whole life and doesn't know she can leave her past behind her."

InuYasha nodded and wrapped an arm around the girl as she hid beneath the umbrella rooted in the ground. "That's why Kikyo and I stayed together for so long. We had really been living separate lives for a long time before I came back here. I'm glad I did, though."

The woman sat down her bowl on the cement wall and hunkered down, staring at the seagulls that rested at the end of the docks. "I'm glad you did, too." She smiled daintly and brushed her fingers through his tied back hair.

"If you want, I'll talk to Miroku. It's not like does anything at his job besides read table magazines and drink coffee." InuYasha laughed to himself, seeing his girlfriend's eyes light up with any idea.

"No," She said exuburantly, turning around to grab his hands. "_You _go to the damn store and buy Sango-chan a Parrot Ice and I'll meet you back at the house in an hour or so." She said brightly, holding her skirt down as she got up. She gave him a kiss on his stubbly cheek and bolted off holding her soda in hand.

InuYasha watched her body growing smaller amongst the crowd and leaned back on his hands before forcing himself to get up, tossing their disposable bowls in the receptical. That girl was truly something else and had some new found energy or something, and he wished the next time they were alone he could steal some, he mused.

Aptly, the leggy man pushed a cigarette in his mouth and strode down the boardwalk to one of the convenient stores to by the woman a slushee, as if he could deny Kagome of anything.

**x-x-x**

Down the way, Kagome ran with her hands pressing her pale yellow dress in place. She was almost to the knoll and the dip which lead her into the shanty. The wind beat her skin and pulled her hair at the ends. The sun was about as menacing, reminding her exactly how hot it really was as she struggled down the stairs.

Reaching the bike shop was no great feat and she stumbled in with a ringing announcement. The door closed behind her and she caught her breath as she saw Miroku reading a paper. He raised his dark eyes to hers and smiled crookedly, in that way that only he could.

Somewhere in that boyish charm, she saw him falter as she sat down on a chair next to the bicycle stall. "So what brings you here today, Miss Kagome?" He asked, pulling his glasses down from his crown.

"I know it's none of my business, but you've asked Sango to marry you, haven't you?" She asked directly, wringing her hands together nervously.

Miroku cleared his throat and covered his mouth with his hand. "Um, yes. I didn't think it was a secret or anything. I'm just having trouble getting her to say yes, when she obviously would marry me. I mean, look at me." He chided, leaning over the counter to hand the girl a cup of water.

"Thanks, I guess I look like I needed it." She cooed, gulping down the icy liquid.

"You certainly looked parched." He pointed out, trying to figure her out. "Is there a reason behind the question, or did you run all the way down here out of curiosity?"

Kagome shrugged, rubbing her bare arm with her clammy palm. "It's just that, well, Sango quit her job this morning and was really upset about everything. She said that she wanted to be with you, but she wasn't ready to leave everything behind and I think that she shouldn't be so afraid.

For a moment, Miroku let Kagome's words seep into his skull. For someone so passive and timid, she had turned out to be more insightful and wise than people twice her age. It was probably something everyone had overlooked when they had tried to desperately for her to retrain that intrigue of innocence. "You pretty much have that nailed," He smiled sadly, "There's nothing I can do to make her feel otherwise. I've offered several times to move to Tokyo, but I don't think she'd know what to do with me."

Kagome mulled it over and meandered to the counter, leaning over the cool surface. She was so close he could see the faintest of freckles kissing the bridge of her nose. She was quite lovely to look at and he could see why InuYasha had fallen head over heels for her, and Koga as well.

"How did you ask her?" She inquired, probing at one of the brochure's absently.

Miroku cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulder. "I just assumed that telling her how I felt was enough. I mean, I didn't think she wanted me to get to get down on one knee and flaunt my armor and white horse in the distance." He said honestly.

Kagome grabbed his hands, surprising him at the contact. "You should ask her. Really ask her to marry you and I bet she would change her mind about everything. She's been through so much that she's just afraid for anything else to change."

Miroku slithered from her grasp and looked up at the clock on the wall. "I don't get off work for another few hours, but I want her more than anything." He sighed emotionally. It was the first time he had ever shown any indication of sadness and Kagome swallowed her own heart. "I mentioned it last night when she got home from work and she just seemed so distant."

"Why don't you ask her again tonight?" Kagome asked.

He furrowed his brows, "Isn't today your birthday?" He asked plainly.

"Yes, but that really doesn't matter. I'm not concerned with me. I just want to see her happy and I know that this would make her happier than anything." Her thin hands gripped together and Miroku sighed inwardly before stumbling from behind the counter and flipping the out to lunch sign. He'd already taken his break, but screw it.

"You're coming with me?" Kagome blanched.

Miroku shot her a knowing look and fumbled with his keys. "Come on, I have to buy her a ring or something, don't I?" He asked with a chuckle.

The girl beamed, leading the way out into the sunlight. They headed towards the town and waited for a bus to take them further away to one of the inlaying cities. They talked about how it was when they first met and how he would still do anything for her. She was so special to him that it made Kagome feel envious of what magic held them together.

When the elaborate bus came zipping by, they took their sets near the back and giddily rode away, leaving the sea behind them. And it became painfully clear to Miroku that a pretty woman could talk him into almost anything, especially if it meant making the one that mattered happy.

**x-x-x**

At the house, InuYasha pushed his foot on the side of Sango's bed, gently rocking her mattress. Absently, she swatted her hand until she finally parted her eyes. She was disappointed to see _him _standing there all nonchalant. Raising up, she noticed the perspiring cup in his hand and she took it. "Um, thanks. You didn't have to."

InuYasha rolled his shoulders and plopped down on the foot of the small bed. "It's fine, Kagome made me do it." He said, laying flat on his back.

Sango arched over him with a dark expression and watched him wipe away the sleep from his face. "You can't tell her no, can you?" She asked with a crooked, wavering grin.

The man sighed and grabbed a pillow to lay over his chest, curling his arms around it. "What the hell do you think? We don't have to talk about it. I really don't want anymore lectures about what I'm doing, whether it's right or wrong."

Sango was compliant and perked her brows, yawning into her straw. "I feel bad because I kind of blew up on her today. She really didn't deserve it." She said remorsefully.

"Fuck, you should know that she'll be alright. She can handle someone yelling at her, kind of." He said, watching her legs cross and fold tigher to her body.

Hunching, Sango sipped on the drink, lost in some daydreaming state. He couldn't quite pinpoint if it was something she wanted to vent about so he kept his mouth shut until she was ready to reveal whatever was wrong.

Then again, it was _Sango_, she would let you know as soon as she thought of something to say and he let the silent ride out before he decided to actually make this less awkward. Sitting up, he stretched and coiled against the pillow with a pensive expression nipping at his features.

The woman watched him curiously, wondering what had struck him so violently that he looked ill. Her eyes widened when a look of disgust, anguish, and realization painted a new picture_. _After a long, gritted sigh, InuYasha turned to her, eyes filled to the brim with an amalgamation of fear and relief. "_I think I love her._" He said, staring in disbelief at the floorboards.

Sango's mouth hung ajar and she felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest. Blinking her eyes, she shucked the cup on her nightstand, slapping her hand to the man's forehead, brushing back his bangs. "Are you alright, InuYasha?" She asked, eyes searching for something to make her less shocked. She knew he cared about her, but _love_. _Love_ was a strong word even for her when she had admitted it to Miroku, a year after they started dating.

The man winced and took a deep breath, pulling away from her. "Sango, I am fucked. I was just buying you a drink for _her _and I was thinking about her, just her, and I realized that I think I may fucking die if I'm not with her." He blurted, hands gesturing wildly as he gripped to his face.

Sango swallowed and thought about her friend and how she would react. It could go one of two ways and she didn't want to be involved with either of the scenarios. "You should wait, you know, before you tell her because there's a good possibility that she would flip her shit or marry you or something."

InuYasha shook his head, "I am fucking hopeless." He said, finding some sort of amusement in the situation. "She had me from the time she busted my face open with that damn tennis racket."

"Abuse is a wonderful start to any relationship." Sango smirked, slapping a hand on her friend's shoulder, squeezing the tense muscle. He shot her a pathetic look and she laughed groggily. "Summer's gonna be over soon and you both are going to have to make a choice. You know that?" She said realistically, getting up to ready herself for the evening.

InuYasha nodded in silence as he followed suit and left the room. He fell face down on the bed he shared with Kagome, and exhaled into a pillow. This was the last thing he needed, but the only thing he wanted. It wasn't fair of him to withold it from her, but there wasn't much else he could do.

He wasn't going to hurt her in the end. He would have been better off being shot and buried or something. Waiting around until he heard the door close, he screamed "_Fuck" _at the top of his lungs. His hands creased the weary lines of his face as he felt the urge to punch something.

It wasn't anything she had done to upset him, it was that his guard was so weak and she had penetrated it without even knowing. He'd followed her around like an idiot, kissing away her problems and easing her into a transition that he, himself, had had so much trouble with.

If she had been apart of his life to begin with he would have eventually fallen for her, loved her, hopefully held onto her. How in hell was he supposed to accept letting go of her now? His belongings, which splatted against the wall, surely didn't know the answer to his question and mocked him as they fell to the floor in silence.

He was screwed no matter which way he looked at it. Starting with Kikyo and ending with Kagome, he'd choose a life in the shanty as long as it was with the latter. Yet, as he mourned over this new feeling, he reached into his pocket and flipped through the contacts in his phone.

A frown etched across his face as he felt the need to dial a familiar number, just to be comforted. Out of habit, years and years of habit, if anything went wrong _she_ was there and helped him through whatever he needed. Sighing, he pressed the button and let the bastard ring until he heard that smooth voice pick up on the other line and he dissolved. "Kikyo, I really need to talk to you, so don't hang up." He begged, chewing at his lip as he scrambled for a cigarette.

**x-x-x**

On their way back from the glitzy city, Miroku held a royally toned bag in his hands, shaking with the realization that he had spent half of his life savings on this damn thing. Kagome had tried on several of the rings and helped him decide on a very pricy, white gold, diamond and emerald wedding set.

The girl was very pleased that as a birthday gift, he had bought her a small, silver necklace with a key pendant dangling from the delicate chain. She'd, in return, bought him a nice outfit when he was buying himself some lunch and forcibly given him the bag.

He'd returned to work and she had gathered up their purchases and the odds and ends they needed, as she trekked back home. Her heart was swollen and livid. Her anger wasn't truly towards anyone or anything as she tried to rush home before her energy fizzled out.

It was damnably hot and she begged to cool off in the water before night fell. When she arrived, she found InuYasha sitting on the counter top scowling at his phone. The speaker was on and he rolled his eyes as Kikyo chattered on about her new job.

Kagome felt a twinge of jealousy and scowled as she deposited the bags in the living room. InuYasha was about to say something, until Kikyo asked about Kagome, which made her ears instantly aware of the conversation.

"Do you want to talk to her?" He said dejectedly, eying the girl across the room act like she hadn't heard a thing; her expression and the way she teetered back and forth had really shown her interest.

He slipped off the counter and handed Kagome the device and she took it off speaker and ran upstairs, slamming the door behind her. From where he stood, peeling a orange, he could hear her laughing and squealing about something or another and it made his stomach knot.

He'd always wondered if she had been lying about spending time with his ex, but apparently, they had some sort of friendship. It amazed him that you could put two women in a room together, or on a phone, and they would go to town about anything and everything. He wondered idly what she was talking about when it got absurdly quiet.

Taking it upon himself, he snuck up the stairs, barely pressing his ear to the door. He'd talked to Kikyo about his feelings and she had taken it surprisingly well. The one thing that he could say about the woman was that her head was on straight and could handle hearing what most people couldn't.

Through the muffled wooden barricade, he heard Kagome talking about rings and trying them on. He furrowed his brows and felt his body tense. There was no way she could be that into him, especially that fast.

After a few moments, the words: _marriage, proposal, _and _tonight_ all rang loudly in his ears. He cupped his mouth and instantly crept away, trying to find someone to talk to. God, he hadn't even told her he loved her, even though he kind of sort of did. He had just cracked the shell and he didn't know what to expect.

As Kagome came out the room saying her goodbyes, she looked around and blatantly requested that Kikyo call _her _some time and that she hoped Sango would love the rings that had been picked out. She promised pictures and a the whole shebang when she hung up.

When she found no InuYasha, she glowered and hunted for him around the house. She was empty handed and sat his phone back down on the counter top. Whatever had gotten ahold of him must have been really fearsome, she thought idly. Miroku was counting on them to help set everything up and she couldn't do everything alone.

So she waited. She waited for a good couple of hours, feeling the first chill of the evening set in. When he didn't show up, she ran into Koga as she walked around the town to buy herself a drink. He hadn't seen her in several days and joyously agreed to help her.

It had been awkard dealing with him in her home and the sudden awareness that he was a man and he was alone with her. He was nice enough, thoughg and didn't try anything. He helped her string clear lights across make shift poles that lead down the hill to the beach and helped her make laterns and lit candles.

He promised that if she were to consider going on a date with him that he would make her the happiest woman on earth, and she had smiled warmly beneath the illumination garden and satisfied him with a peck on the cheek. His large hand rubbed the spot dumbly, blinded by the way she shown brightly as she weaved the lights the way she wanted them.

A few people stopped on their way home and marked how lovely the lighting looked and she proudly thanked them. Koga took the opportunity to head into the house to grab a beer from the fridge.

Miroku had slinked the house as mistaken him for InuYasha, until he corrected him. His hand shot to the back of his head and he laughed cautiously, wondering where in the hell his room-mate was. "Oh, my mistake." He said, "Is Kagome outside?" He asked, pulling off a paper thin jacket.

"Yeah, I was just helping her with the lights and stuff. Congratulations, I really hope that things work out for you and your lady." Koga toasted, tossing the man a beer.

"I don't know how InuYasha doesn't like you. I think you may be the most charming man that I've ever met and I had always thought I was." Miroku chortled, popping the cap off on the counter.

Koga laughed in his own husky way and smirked. "It's cause he has a handle on that beauty out there. I don't blame 'im. If he ever fucks it up, I'm going to be all over her and he knows it."

The younger man nodded and sighed, taking a sip of his beer. "She's very special. We're all a little protective." He said as a matter of factly.

Just as Koga was about to respond, Sango flung the door open screaming, shucking her keys on across the room. InuYasha was flailing his arms, watching her bruskily remove the bowtie from her uniform, "What in the hell do you mean you proposed to Kikyo?"

bridge of his nose, feeling all of the eyes in the room fall on him; Kagome's included as she tore a paper lantern in her hand.

"_Jesus Sango!_ That's _not_ what I said!" He yelled.

Koga turned around and closed his eyes thanking whoever may have been listening. "I appreciate this so much. You have no idea how much this means to me." He sighed, about-facing to see Miroku flick his eyes to Kagome.

"Then what did you say?" Sango glared, slapping her hands on her hips.

Kagome looked in between all the bodies in the room and felt her heart squelch. It was her birthday god dammit and she knew exactly what had happed once she thought about it.

"I already told you what I said, Sango." InuYasha barked, crossing his arms over his chest before scoffing.

"You really have fucked up this time, InuYasha. You know Kagome is right there, you jackass." She seethed, rubbing her face with her hand.

Kagome chewed at the inside of her jaw and shuffled her bare feet together and glowered at the girl, finding her anger piercing her. "I was talking to Kikyo about something on the phone today and I think that someone," She pointed at her boyfriend, "was listening and heard something he shouldn't have heard and starting jumping to conclusions, and so did you."

Sango tossed her head back and began to storm outside. InuYasha looked apologetically at the petite woman. She shook her head and brought her attention to Koga, which didn't intially go over very well. "Don't even ruin this right now." She said to the two of them, reaching into a patch pocket on her yellow dress.

She blindly handed Miroku the small box and it all became abundantly clear what she was talking about and shooed him upstairs to change with a bag she had handed him. The two men at odds stood sullen, and ignored the other.

Kagome rushed outside when she heard Sango call her name and she skipped when she flung the back door open, revealing a blanketing of lanterns and strung up lights. "This is so pretty!" She exclaimed, grabbing the girl's hand. "I'm sorry I was so mean earlier. I'm just having a lot problems," she sighed, playing with the ends of one of the lantern's strings.

"It's alright, Sango-chan." The girl smiled back, eyes dancing in the flickering iridescence. "I've had a really busy day and I don't want you to worry so much. You've had to deal with so much that you need a little break and just enjoy yourself. Tomorrow is tomorrow and today is today, you know?" Her nose scrunched up as she felt the wind smooth away the heat from her skin.

Sango let her hair down and watched the sun fall behind the horizon and sat down with her toes in the sand. How could she honestly tire of a place like this? Wrapping an arm around Kagome, they sat together listening to the banter from inside the house.

After a few moments, InuYasha and Koga peeked their heads out of the door, watching the girls pointing at the sky and various things. The balmy night was thick and rolling with a bittersweet heaviness. It was then that InuYasha realized that he was more of a child than the girl that sat infront of him and the man beside him was no more concerned with stealing the girl as he was waiting for his turn to have her.

He was still overwhelmingly jealous and yielded to the upset it would cause if he started defending himself in another heroic display of affection. It didn't take long for Miroku to brush past them and adjusted his teal button up and roll up the sleeves. He opted to leave his glasses on the counter and brush out his thistly hair.

His cheeks were red and blotchy as he walked outside. Kagome looked over her shoulder and grinned, pushing herself to her feet as Miroku took her place and held out the tiny box in his hands. Sango looked in between them and grabbed the man's arms and wrapped her legs around him.

The rest of the summer was lit on that point and left a hole in their hearts the closer it it came to a close. Each day, after that one defining day, had blurred in streaks of golden sunrises and the burning paintings of the night.

InuYasha and Kagome made love beneath the deck, the pier, the tangled webbing of sheets, reminding one another that their closeness would be a treasure, not a luxury. Sango and Miroku began planning for their wedding, and hoped it would be filled with same intensity as it had when he had first asked. Truly asked.

Koga had gone off on his way and waited and waited for Kagome, and found her never losing her interest in InuYasha. Still, he haunted their home from time to time to just see her and experience her from a far.

Yet, as the summer drew its teeth, sinking deeper into its own heat, it reminded each one of them that the fall was only a short time away; bringing with it the dying seasons and the changes that had to made. Kagome just wanted to hold on, and ride the surf, smother herself in her lovers arms, and relive the moments she had so willfully pushed aside.

Sango and Miroku were leaving early, as to prepare and waste no time. It was like having a knife lodged in her heart when she heard the news. She was hollow when they had finally packed up their things and moved on and moved their life to Osaka. There were tears and waning friendships, but Kagome couldn't be bitter. She couldn't begrudge them for falling in love and pressing forward with their lives. As a gift to herself, and to them, she had made the preparations for them so that they could see the importance.

Their last night together was spent around a bonfire, drinking away the summer flavored drinks as though they were water. InuYasha had given Kagome her birthday gift a few days late, and she wasn't disappointed in the necklace he had made for her out of all the shells she had picked up on their ventures on the beach.

The house had seemed empty in the later weeks and she reveled in the sadness that washed over her. Turning over in her bed, she brushed her fingers over InuYasha's cheek as he watched her intently, vividly recalling each contour of her body and the glassy color of her eyes.

Yet, waking up that last morning, when their skin was dry and colored by the sun, they couldn't bring themselves to move from their beds. Everything had been packed up, shoved aside with their names and locations clearly scibbled in permanent marker.

The ocean was calm, barely noticeable above their breathing as she clung to his bare body. Her hair hid the sheen of tears that pricked at her eyes and she nuzzled into his throat, that one last time. She smelled the sea in on his skin and the sun his hair.

She loved him. She had always loved him in a sense. Once she had been afraid to feel it and when she _knew_, she boldly kept it secret and safe. Part of her died the moment that she heard his voice raspily remind her to move from the bed and strip it bare.

They had been through so much this summer and the feeling was slipping from Kagome's fingers as she forced herself out of the covers, no longer hiding her naked body. InuYasha's heart strings pulled, begging for her to return to the warmth of his arms, but he knew what was coming and knew that this was the end.

Both of them were quiet, heavily saturated with this film of depression, longing, and what felt like misery. They tucked away the remaining things they held onto the warmth that the season was steadily losing. September called, echoing the changing weather with brisk breezes and darkening skies.

Kagome glided across the room, pulling on a long sleeved shirt, covering the length of her arms and her filled out frame. InuYasha frowned at the loss of her skin and pulled on his own clothing without so much as a sound.

All of the balmy weather was replaced by the hint of cloves and smoke billowing through the crack in their window. It was something that had past in the blink of an eye and Kagome was sure to return to the shanty town; whether it be to visit or seek out what she was losing in these brief moments before the owner would change the locks.

Shuffling downstairs, InuYasha found the counters natural, cleaned up enough to see each knick in the grain. The lamenant was peeling and the foot prints that once dirtied the space around the door were wiped up. Nothing felt the same and the air, especially since Sango and Miroku had gone away, was lost in this empty nest syndrome feel.

His hands shook as he waited patiently for the girl to lug around her plump suitcase. It had been filled until it had to be tied closed with the ziptie he purchased for her at the store. He had emptied his pockets and written down his number and his address in Osaka, if he even still had a room since Sango moved in...

When she clotted down the stairs, his breath hitched in his throat and he knew... he had to tell her how hard it had been to keep his love for her buried within him, after everything and learning with her, teaching her the ins and outs of her body and everything in between.

Swallowing, he brushed back his hair from his eyes for the light to catch the browns and golds that littered his irises. Kagome smiled warmly, melting away the cold that had replaced the heat. Her lip was quivering, and her eyes glistened as a few tears escaped the fortress her lashes had constructed.

Neither of them had prepared for this moment and breaking her heart was the last thing that he wanted. It was fleeting, to say the very least, the way she slipped upon her shoes and rose a few inches taller to place a kiss upon his lips. They lingered, basking in the gently swaying rays of sun before they pulled away, disappearing in he crisp row of houses outside.

Kagome took in every nook and cranny, remembering the bicycle rides in the night and the way he had kept her safe through all of the storms. When they past the small town, she began to fall apart as she saw the pier, the docks, the old fishermen teetering on their stubby legs to their boats. The air was bittersweet, tangy and so cold as the bay announced its retirement.

Shop owners locked up their doors and the diner she had slaved in stood in shambles of what the summer had made it appear to be. InuYasha held onto her hand, slicking his fingers over the mountains and valleys of her knuckles. He was dying. He could barely look at her. She had grown into this beautiful creature that barely resembled the girl that cleaned up his blood on her white dress.

She didn't know, but he had stuffed it away in his suitcase to remember meeting her; as if the idea of her was so distant in his mind. Reaching the place, upon the edge of the road leading down the sandbars, Kagome was hit was a pang in her chest. She couldn't breathe as she remembered taking her first pureile steps, pressing the hot sand beneath her toes.

InuYasha let go of her hand as the wind whipped her waist length hair behind her and over the delicate rigids of her face. She was absorbing Arcadia, wishing that it could be within reach of her outstretched fingers. The man dropped his bags as he heard the scurrying footsteps of people ready to return to their clinical lives.

Grabbing the girl, he picked her up and held her over his arms, like he had so many times when they'd run along the shoreline; building castles, making motes, and collecting those precious shells. He saw her timid facade dissolve into the wind so many weeks ago, and helped her mold her into the woman she was becoming.

Nuzzling her nose into his chin, she looked up at his unshaved face and smiled softly. "You know I fell in love with you down there." She pointed her thin finger at the taut, white lifeguard stand parked in the center of the beach. "I remember waving at you and you were wearing that hat and had sunblock smeared all over your face." The rumble of his laughter emanated through her and she stifled a cry.

It dawned on him afterwards that she was in love, really in love with _him_.

Licking his lips, his eyes fell shut and he recalled the day where she had gotten off work and rode his bicycle over the rought patched of grass and rocks. "I think that's really when I started to fall in love you with you, too. You were so helpless and I just wanted to take care of you." He murmured, "But, what kind of person am I that I stole everything from you."

"You didn't steal anything." Kagome snapped, her eyes full of an unsparing emotion. "I gave you everything. You never had to tell me that you'd fallen in love with me. I kne once it happened and I knew this would tear me apart. If I had _thought___any of it, I would have left here crying and a mess and not learned anything."

Poignant, wasn't she? Sighing, InuYasha sat her down as her bus came rushing down the two way street, and he refused to believe it. Her arms flung around him, tears still unwillingly held in like a dam ready to burst.

InuYasha threw himself around her small body and crushed her beneath his weight. His fingers dragged along her sides as the bus schreeched to a halt. The driver parked in place and let the fumes replace the natural scent in the air with some putrid, evil as it was taking her away. "Don't forget me." Kagome whispered, kissing him softly as the driver called his destinations.

That day, as her fingers laced through his and barely touched as she let go and climbed into her steeled chariot, he couldn't bear it. She was the the last piece of his heart to make it whole and she was sitting in the back of the bus, trying so desperately to not let him see her cry.

Yet, as her eyes fell upon him, her palms pressed fully on the window and she watched him run after her as they began to dart off into the morning. Her hand reached out the window, aching to touch him one last time as the driver sped up, stealing her away from him.

He had reached for her and fell short, and stopped in place once the acceleration had increased, leaving him dumbstruck. His world shattered in a moment and hers seemed to be somehow sewn together, no matter how weakly woven the thread was.

Here he was, a grown ass man, crying over the woman he lost. The saddest part was that they knew that this day was coming and they had both ignored the beckoning call. Rubbing his face clean, he felt a hand fall upon his shoulder and he snapped around, trying to look less vulnerable than he was.

The fact he saw wasn't one he had expected, and the large outstretched hand was even less expected. When he raised his eyes, he realized it was Koga, yet he seemed different. His dark eyes seemed to be filled with an emotion that he didn't realize he had in him. And, as compassionate as it was, he tried to refrain.

"I'm sorry," Koga cleared his throat, nodding his head in resignition as InuYasha gripped to his hand, shaking it sternly. "I'll tell you this, though. If you are stupid enough to not chase after that woman, then I will and I know how much you'd hate that." He smirked, taking the liberity of sitting himself down on the wooden bench lining the road.

InuYasha scoffed at him and found himself sitting beside him, his suitcase in between his feet. "Why the hell are you even here?" He asked ruefully, placing a cigarette in his mouth.

"Eh, you know how you just kind of stumble upon this kind of shit?" He shot InuYasha knowing look and shrugged.

"My entire life is that kind of situation." InuYasha sniffed, hunched over his skinny legs as he waited to be carted off by his own bus to the station.

"Mine, too. You got the gold, though. You got something that you shouldn't let go of. Hell or high water. I'm just stuck here, taking care of people, watching them die, and shit. It's something that I didn't really know I wanted, but I'm in paradise." He laughed huskily and slapped InuYasha's shoulder.

The man nodded and flicked his cigarette into the wind. "Kagome's going to finish school, but I don't think she'd want to waste her time on someone like me when she'll find her prince in Tokyo."

Koga rolled his eyes and sighed, "You know that girl is always going to have a soft spot for you man, and besides," He paused, staring at the ground as he spoke, "I think that you two are going to have a long ass battle with this and I resolve to say, I hope to god you keep her as long as you can."

"Why are you saying this shit after you tried so hard to take her?" InuYasha crossed his arms, ignoring the clenching pain in his chest.

Koga just grinned and felt his pager go off, looking down he waved a hand at the man and laughed a little as his bus rolled up. "I'll answer that if I see you again." He said coyly, running off into the busy cross walk where his EMS van was parked.

When he looked back, InuYasha was gone and a scowl set on his face. He really didn't understand why he couldn't see that Kagome was different and needed him, unlike every other woman that was as the season itself.


	12. So Long, Scarecrow

**AN: **_**We have finally reached the end of this tale and I hope, aside from the fact that I am an error queen and need a beta, that you have enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I feel like I'm going to miss writing this and may write a couple of little one shots in this universe from various points in the story.**_

_**I appreciate all of the feedback and support. I've appreciated every one of them and everyone that has read this story.**_

_**Warm-Amber92; I hope that you like this ending. I cried when I finished writing this.**_

_**ninjamidori; MAYBEEEE Haha. Your reviews ALWAYS ALWAYS make me smile.**_

_**trueinuyashalovergirl; she's one of my favorite characters and I love her. I'm glad that you've enjoyed having her around, too!**_

_**Amarelle; That meant so much to me. That was such a compliment and I hope that you aren't disappointed with this ending, either. I live a little bit away from the ocean, and I can't help but feel emotional when I go there. I'm glad that it makes you feel something and that you can identify with the surroundings. I appreciated reading that more than you could ever know.**_

_**and to correct my name failure, because I read it wrong;**_

_**CityofFallenAshes (IDK where the angels came from **_**XF**_**)**_ _**I'm so happy you've enjoyed this! :D**_

And so, as the months turned dark and became bright with the fire which adorned the treelines and ground with warmth, Kagome stared down at the bottom of the shrine steps. There was something that made her feel the hole growing larger in her heart.

She was tucked deep beneath scarves and her winter uniform, off set by the blackness in the stitiching. Her small hands knit together as she tried to force herself to walk down the flight of cement steps.

Never uttering a word to her mother, she had cried on her way to and from, not caring if anyone saw her dishelved form slumping to her high school. A few of her friends, the ones she held at an arm's length, commented on her weary eyes and the frizz fluffing her bangs.

The only time she was ever really along long enough to try and stuff away her feelings were so few and far between. There was a line that she dared herself not to cross and let most of her woes consume her. Every night before bed, Kagome would hold her cellular to her chest and frown at the number that refused to be dialed.

How hard was it for her to call him? She didn't have pride, or self pity for what had happened. He was a grown man and could handle a summer fling much easier than she could. If he wanted to, he would have called her, but he didn't.

Every day since she left, she waited impatiently for her phone to ring and for him to declare his love for her. Holding on was beginning to become harder to bear, and as she rolled over in her plush bed with stuffed animals keeping her company, she felt lost and as new as the first day she was born.

Her knees curled to her chest and she stared through the darkness at the flickering light backing on her phone. Why? Why could she not do this simple thing? She asked herself, pulling the phone across her pillow and letting it fall beside her head as she draped her arm over her eyes.

When he had chased her, didn't he _want_ to keep her close to his heart? A stifled cry ripped through her throat as her lungs tried to prevent her breath from escaping. It felt so strange being back in the city, sitting with her mother and brother as she toyed around with her fantasy world.

Sango had yet to call her, either. That was something she knew would happen and she probably had found herself eloped and happily being taken on a secretive honeymoon. Being jaded was the last thing that Kagome had ever believed she would be.

InuYasha had been given something precious and his connection to her was waning like the moon. The childish part of her still believed that he would come and take her away from the stoned city of neons and skyward buildings.

Feeling tears burn her cheeks, the woman threw back her covers and grabbed a coat from her closet. She was smothering and could no long submit to this emptiness. It was so late, that even if she had slept, she would never have roused for her classes. She didn't really care if she missed a day. She'd had perfect attendance and was making excellent marks.

She had to get out of the stuffy house and breathe, even if for just a moment. She pulled out a pair of winter boots and slipped on some jeans as she slid carefully down the carpeted stairs. Sota was still sound asleep, and her mother was obviously not waking up any time soon. Cautiously, Kagome hit the wooden floor with a start, almost screaming at the speed she slid, gripping to the corner of a wall for stability.

Wincing in through her tears, she reached for a window above their sofa and slid it open. She pulled on her boots and nimbly climbed on a coffee table to the crevice, slipping out without much trouble. She dangled for a moment before letting her feet fall a foot to safety.

Luckily, she'd thought to climb on one of her mother's old flower pots and wiggle the window shut, as not to be noticed. Gripping to her arms, she shuddered as she traipsed around the simple shrubry, looking like monsters in the night.

Hair stood taut on the back of her neck. Looking behind her, she sniveled and blinked into the darkness. She found nothing but the wind tousling the last of the thorny stems of the plants as the flood light flickered on.

Bracing herself, Kagome watched the shadow connected at her feet and stood, like she did many times, upon the apex of the grandoise stairs. Above, her eyes could barely see the stars that had shown so clearly on the beach and she felt her heart cave in on itself.

Gravity pulled her downwards, making her body disappear amongst the wispy ground and passing leaves crying bitterly as they brushed by her feet. Morning wasn't absurdly far away, but if she left now and returned before dawn, she may very well be able to just make out the edges of the celestial sea in all of its glory.

The trains had stopped running and the streets were nearly bare, save for a few drunken college students, griping about missing the shinkansen. Her hands were numb in her coat pockets, and the wind burned her ears with its breathing. She wanted to feel the lingering heat of the sun, boiling her blood as it had when she was with _him_.

Closing her eyes, the 18 year old drifted until she passed the dimly lit shops and open cafe at the intersection. Stopping, she thawed and purchased a steaming cup of black coffee and opted for it to be stout enough to cringe her tastebuds.

Flipping through her wallet, she found money still intact from her job on the beach. Since she had returned, the girl hadn't indulged in any of the things she used to; no movies, no clothes, no late night snacks from the delivery service.

It was all she had and her bloodshot eyes stared at an ad on the pinboard. Getting up from a polished round table, she plucked the pink sheet of paper and pulled out her phone. It was crazy that she hadn't even thought long enough to realize what she was doing.

Before she knew it, she was tucked deeply within the back seat of a taxi, speeding off into the unknown, coiling within her coat for warmth as the defrosting heat blistered her face with gusto.

The entire ride, she was silent, anxiously staring out of the window with her fingers cupped against the rubbery lining. She picked at it and held her breath, waiting for something familiar to catch her eye. The wintry weather was beginning to dampen the streets with a flurry or two, licking clean the crinkled foliage.

The driver peered back at her and smirked to himself, chewing on a piece of gum. He was surprised to have been called out of his garage so late, but he was happy for the pay. As they zipped past the famous Tsukiji-mura, Kagome's heart leapt into her throat; pulsating with a vigorous drumming.

The older man, rubbed the wrinkles from his eyes and looked back at the pretty little thing being illuminated by the street signs. "This is gonna cost you an awful lot, is there a reason that you're running off this late?" He asked raspily, clearing his throat.

Kagome sniffed and snapped her eyes up to his, ignoring the rush of dread that clung to the back of her mind. "Um, I don't really know why I'm going." She admitted, brushing a hand through her wavy hair. Her arms crossed over her chest as the man came to a fork in the road and pointed a finger at each side.

"Right or left, Miss?" He asked, smiling a little as he began to hear the call of the ocean permeating through his frostbitten windshield.

Kagome pulled on the back of his headrest, eyes alive with ferocity. Furrowing her brows, she'd remember the direction that lead her there as the left path, less congested than the one on the right had been. "Left. It's left." She exhaled, voice wavering as her nerves began to dance beneath her skin. She yearned to see her the home that had changed her, and the ugly house that was riddled with warped floors and holes.

Nodding, the driver took the left exit and slowed his pace to enjoy the lulling sound of the water rushing over the sandbar. It had flooded during a recent storm, overtaking half of the shoreline below the new expanse of sea.

When the stars flickered like diamonds, stringing themselves in a necklaced pattern, Kagome rolled down her window, letting all of her warmth billow into the cold. She breathed in the salty air and found her body stilled and calm as she saw the small boats rocking on the docks in the distance.

The moon was partial and hanging like a decoration, barely emitting enough light to make this ghost town shine with the lusterous wildness it held in the summer. A few lights glowed like lanterns, few and sparce as the man pulled the car to a halt at her command. As she got out, she handed her everything in her wallet, which was a little more than the trip had cost, and at the risk he had taken speeding.

The door slammed and the driver rolled down his window, watching the girl begin to rush on her sore legs to the sandy knoll, leading down to the few shops and the diner. Before she touched the familiar ground, his voice rang out and she paused, "I'll wait for you, if you want." He said.

Kagome fidgeted and tried to construe a thought, or anything that would have remotely made sense. "I-I, if I'm not back in half an hour, you can leave me." She said with a smile. Her steamy breath kissed the night as she swallowed and bolted off towards the shore.

She'd nearly fallen, losing her balance on the rocky descent. When her boot clad feet hit the slick planks of the boardwalk, her heart nearly stopped. Her body found itself right infront of the old diner. Kagome looked at her crisply bitten face and not longer felt any part of her exposed skin. The wind was cutting through her like knives, burying each blow deeper into the holes in the stitching of her coat.

She felt that sinister twinge of nostaligia slip along her body and end at her throat in a shiver. She closed her eyes imagining what the world was like when she saw it for the first time. This one place was the furthest she'd traveled, and she longed to feel it become real again.

There was something magical about this place and the way people integrated into living here. As she began to walk away, her hand touched the glass window pane and dragged the pads of her fingers along, feeling like she had left a mark there.

Her eyes couldn't look at the rickety old lifeguard stand, standing in the barren white reflection of the sand. She wanted to remember it full and robust with the boy she still loved manning the captain's seat as though he were sailing above her.

If she hadn't been so tired and so ultimately vulnerable, it probably would have been like a gravestone to remember him by. For a moment, she fought herself and lost the battle with the urge to go to the forest of houses.

They seemed so tiny and so unloved in the darkness and empty due to the disappearance of their owners. A frown clung to her paling lips. She brushed her fingers over the slimy edges, lapped at by the deteriorating salt and held her breath as she found the one house hazily standing brighter than the rest.

Her eyes caught the light beaming from the window, clouded by the condensation. She was envious of the person in that house and it made her stomach churn just as unrelenting as the high tide; scooping up the remains of castles and shells to whisk them away.

Rubbing her hands together, Kagome felt guilty for wanting to peek in the window. And when she did, she was disappointed all over again. There, sitting on the couch that Sango had lounged on, sat a woman with hair as fiery and as fake as a tube of lipstick. She was a pretty little thing, though. Kagome couldn't help the jealously that she felt towards her, comfortably curled in a quilt, watching the same tv in the dark.

Lowering her head, Kagome peeked around the corner to see Koga, of all people, laying his legs across her lap. Part of her desperately wanted to knock on the door and protest their occupancy. She wanted to be in _her _room. The one she and InuYasha had made love in and the places where she and Miroku had baked cakes and late night snacks.

Slinking against the sand, she folded her knees up to her chest. She seemed like a crazy person, just trespassing on a property that wasn't hers. She was no peeping Tom, but this was the part of her life that she needed to let go of.

Fairy tales weren't real, now were they? She smiled sarcastically. There was nothing but time that could erase the way she had felt, or the way she still wandered around her real home like a drone, slipping in and out of her reality.

As she pressed herself to her feet, Kagome fought the urge to cry as she felt the wind begin to howl. Surely, the driver had long been gone and she made the slow trek up the hill to find him still sitting there with his hat pulled over his head.

When she arrived, she tapped on the door, allowing him time to unlock it and let her get in the backseat. She didn't pay attention to the look he gave her, or the sound of the engine turning over as he pulled the car out of park.

Kagome leaned her head against the window, watching the foaming water cleanse the memories from her head. Passing the backsides of the old buildings, she finally stared down at the lifeguard stand, and squinted as hard as she could.

"_Stop the car_!" She panicked, slapping her hands on either side of his headrest, heart screaming against her ribcage so loudly it bled into her ears. A swell of emotion choked her and she fumbled to unlock the car door before he had a chance to stop, barely registering what to say as she flung the door open. She fell, rolling down the ledge and lost a shoe somewhere in the mess.

The smell of smoke hit her nose and she began to tremble to her toes and her lip quivered violently. For, as she tripped and fell those numerous times, the man she loved sat upon his perch, buried in his coat and toboggan.

When he saw her he threw his cigarette away and fell down the last few rungs before sloshing in the edges of the water. He threw himself on her, picking her up with shaking hands and fingers digging into her back like nails. She sobbed, truly erupted with every ounce of herself she had suppressed. "InuYasha, why didn't you come for me?" She choked, almost hyperventalating as she inhaled his scent.

The scruffy man buried his nose into her collar and tried to breathe. He couldn't let go of her, or make any sort of coherent thought. He pulled back long enough to see her broken face and deathly pale skin. "I'm sorry." InuYasha breathed, taking her down to the shoals. Water licked the ends of his long hair as the wind carried his hat off for some unknown destination.

Kagome wrapped her legs around him, trying her best to fuse his warmth with hers. She lowered her forehead against his, hot tears burning his cheeks as they tumbled from hers. "I love you, InuYasha. I can't do this. I want to be with you so bad." She strangled, sucking in a hiccup.

InuYasha's unevenly toned eyes showed regret and he pressed on a smile, collecting himself the best he could. "I was coming to see you. Sango is getting married next week and she wanted you to come." He rasped, brushing a calloused finger over her lashes.

Kagome shook her head in his chest, feeling his heart pound against her ear. "Is that all you have to say? You just wanted me to come to a wedding when no one called or had anything to do with me at all?" She screamed. She had lost all control of herself as she pulled against the crass fabric of his coat.

He placed a strong hand over her back and lolled his head back against the damp ground. "Kagome," He breathed softly, bringing his other hand to brush against her face. "I came to see Koga and Ayame and then I was coming to see you. My father passed away shortly after I came home, and he left me with a lot of money."

Kagome's upset withdrew and she furrowed her brows sympathetically. "I'm sorry." She swallowed, finding her fingers moving his bangs away from his eyes. "I would have been there for you." She whispered, feeling him shrug beneath her.

"Kagome," InuYasha muttered, feeling her name roll off of his tongue like silk. "I was coming to tell you that since Miroku and Sango are getting married that I spent my money on buying that house." He held his breath for a moment, feeling her eyes widend with a myriad of emotion. "I wanted to show you that I'll be there for you, right around the corner if you want me. I've never felt like this." The man winced as though it pained him to admit it.

"Before you say anything, I want you to listen and _not _get upset." InuYasha said cautiously, licking his lips to fight away the chaffing cold."I tried to date when I went back to Osaka, and I was never satisfied. I don't think I'll ever be. I don't know if you'll still want to be with me days, weeks, months, or years from now, but I _need_ you."

Kagome's hands gripped at her face and she hid behind her flowing hair. "I-I just came here because I needed to let go." She stifled a cry. "I never could forget you, or this place. I _want _this place to be mine. I'm still a kid as much as I'd like to think I'm not. That's the part that hurts the most. I'm 18. I am a child."

InuYasha shook his head at her and sniveled, "No. You're not a child. Yuo have no idea what you've done for yourself just by leaving in the middle of the night, and chancing on me. I would have been wandering around Tokyo like an idiot trying to find you. I never called because what was I supposed to say?" He paused to look at her with a realistic glare. "That I was so pathetic I cried the day you left. I'm a man, I'm not supposed to mourn a relationship like that. How was I supposed to know that I would be so fucking in love with you that I would give up my whole damn life for a _chance_?" His voice broke as he raised up, gripping the back of her head.

Kagome was speechless. Nothing she could say would take away the venomous sting his words held. Instead, she took a deep breath and forced her mouth upon his and dragged her hands down his shoulders.

He returned the kiss with hunger, feeding himself on her energy and ravaged her soul from that one gesture. Trembling, they both fought against one another before InuYasha finally pulled away, drunk off of her sweetness. "What do we do now?" He asked lightly, seeing a smile creep along the corners of her lips. It was the first real smile she had had since she left.

"Try." Was all she said, placing a soft kiss upon his nose. "I have to go back to Tokyo." She whispered remorsefully. InuYasha nodded and helped her up, arm pulling her close as he helped her climb up the incline. They reveled in the presence of the other and waited as long as they could before she had to get back in the car.

Before he shut the door, he knelt down and kissed her; this time more honest than he ever had. "I love you, Kagome." He said smiling for a moment before the door slammed in her face. She watched him disappear again, and clenched her chest as she was stolen away again. Licking her lips, she tasted his flavor on her tongue and rolled her eyes closed.

That one moment was worth the months of waiting, and she crossed her fingers that he would be loyal to his words. A while after the car zigzagged through the early morning traffic, Kagome peeked at the sleepless driver and his dark eyes held a knowing sparkle.

"You're in love, aren't you girl?" He asked as he popped a mint in his mouth. He offered one to Kagome and she refused to expunge the smoky taste from her mouth.

"Very much." She replied, grimacing at the surreal feeling of returning to this wasteland of suits and ties and technology.

Silence ate the cab for a few moments before he responded, as if he were thinking deeply about his choice of words. "You may be just starting out, but I'll tell you this..." He sucked on his mint as the car stopped in traffic. "Don't hold your feelings in and let something good go because you're unsure. I met my wide when I was fourteen and we fought for it. There are enough people for you to choose and be happy, but there's only one person that'll put up with you and vice versa."

Kagome played with her hands and shed a groggy smile. Raising her glassy eyes to the man's wrinkly face, she hoped that he was right.

A little ways down, the torii shown brightly in the very faintest glow of the sun. Climbing out of the car, she could barely believe any of last night had been real. The taxi driver stopped her before she shut the door, smiling brightly at her. "Here," He pushed the money she had given him back in her palm. "You don't have to pay me for helping you find someone. I'm a hopeless romantic. My wife will love to hear about you."

Looking down, she quirked her brows and shook her head. "No, keep it. I don't need it." She said honestly, "Thank you for all of your trouble." She bowed, "Take your wife on a nice date and take care of yourself." The girl said softly, shutting the door as the stung her eyes as she slowly climbed up the steps.

Her right foot was sore and she looked down, noticing her shoe was still missing. It was the only pair of warm boots she had and she grimaced. Wriggling her frigid toe, she began to rush when she realized her mother would soon be up.

Panicking, Kagome scrambled to the window and climbed back in. She bolted up to her room and tore off her clothes, replacing them with her daunting uniform. It wasn't long before Ume crept into her room, watching her lacing scarves around her neck.

"You're up already?" She asked warmly, holding a cup of coffee in her hands.

_Wait. _Kagome stared at the mug and hesitantly nodded. "Um, yeah. I've had trouble sleeping lately," She said, carefully watching the woman's features fall.

"Is that why the neighbor's son called me and told me he saw you getting out of a taxi?" She sighed, placing an unimpressed hand on her robe-covered hip.

Kagome lolled her head back and sighed. She kept her mouth shut until Sota peeked his head in to see what was going on. "What's going on?" He rubbed his weary eyes and stretched his tired muscles as he slumped against the doorframe.

Mrs. Higurashi pressed her lips in a tightline. "Kagome, I'm going to let you finish getting ready for school and when Sota leaves, we'll finish this conversation." She said stoicly and shooed her son down stairs to eat a bit of breakfast.

Kagome screwed her eyes closed and rubbed her face with her palms. She was dead. Dead, dead, dead and dead. Holding her breath, the young woman grabbed her phone from her coat pocket and skimmed over prices to Osaka. She wasn't missing that damn wedding, even if she had school. She only needed one more credit and she was done, anyway, right?

Grabbing a notepad from her dresser, she scribbled down a few numbers and tucked into her pocket. Her mother rapped on her door a little while later as she brushed out the kinks in her long hair. She wasn't ready for all of this. She knew her mother only wanted her to be the top of her class and make the remainder of her family proud.

She had worked and worked and worked to where she was. It came as no surprise Higurashi-san was so overcome by disappointment. Her only daughter was sneaking out of the house, making people question her credibility as a parent.

Glowering, Kagome closed her eyes as her mother's figure came into her small bedroom. Her thoughts lingered with InuYasha and the triumph of seeing him and _knowing_ how he felt about her. For a moment, she waited for her mother's voice to crack and raise in her ire.

Instead, her mother handed her a letter, which took her by surprise. As she opened the white envelope, she found her invitation to Sango and Miroku's wedding and held it close to her chest; whereas her face plainly showed her anguish over the matter.

Ume didn't say anything, she just waited until her daughter decided to speak up. "I miss her." Kagome pouted, running her thumb over the edge of the paper. "I'm sorry I left. I couldn't sleep. I just went to the coffee shop and down to the bay."

"You went down to the bay?" Ume blanched, furrowing her brows in surprise. "Why on earth would you go there in the middle of the night, Kagome? You could have been kidnapped." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her thin nose.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sat upright, "I took a taxi with the money I saved from my job. I just wanted to go back there and think." She bit the inside of her jaw, hoping that her mother would leave it at that.

"I let you go during the summer because _Sango_ was going to be there with you. You're just a child." She said darkly, trying to wrap her head around her daughter's impulsively idiotic decision. "What were you thinking going all the way down there and _then risking your merit." _

"Mama, I'm ahead of all of my courses. I'm going to graduate early and then I can go to whatever college wants to take me." Kagome quipped, finding her patience beginning to wear thin.

"You will go to the University of Tokyo." Ume said urgently, clasping her hands as though praying would help her daughter see the error of her ways.

Kagome looked out her window at the naked trees and the edges of the old well house. "I don't want those things." She said boldy, never letting her eyes leave the sunlight that blinded her to the rest of the world. She wanted to be unware of what her mother's expression looked like and what it felt like to see it.

"What do you mean, you don't want those things?"

"I want something simple for now." She replied, shivering at the memory of InuYasha embracing her for that fleeting moment.

Kagome grabbed her bookbag from the back of her chair as she stood and began to head down the stairs for school. Ume followed her, brushing a hand through her short hair. "You cannot be serious, Kagome. You are nowhere near grown, you need to think about the rest of your life and take of this now so you don't have to struggle."

The girl _knew _that. She didn't say that she _wasn't_ going to a good school after she graduated. She just made it sound like she was going to drop off the face of the earth and rot in a hole somewhere, or something. "I _never _told you I wasn't taking care of my courses." Kagome glowered, fixing to open the door when there was a soft tap a little above the peephole.

Ume shot a curious glance at the girl as she took the liberity of opening the door for her. What she saw surprised her, and she stepped back a little. "Oh, good morning. Did you come for the tour?" She asked, immediately following in her family's footsteps of taking care of the old place.

The girl smiles warmly, and looked at Kagome with the best intentions at heart. Kagome, herself was surprised to see Kikyo standing there, buttoned to the collar in a designer coat and jeans. She looked as beautiful as she remembered and her hands were evenly tucked behind her back.

"Oh no, Kagome-chan left this by mistake." She bowed, handing Kagome the shoe she had lost on the beach. Cradling it, the young woman wanted to cry and shot Kikyo an odd look.

Ume looked between the girls and sighed in resolve. "Fine, Kagome. Go on to school. It was nice to meet you and thank you for bringing back her shoe. She's in a bit of trouble for that stunt."

"Oh, I don't blame you. My parents were the same way until I moved out and got a job, moving half way across the country to make myself happy." Kikyo said a bit crass. It was unintentional, but she came off that way sometimes. InuYasha had made a point to tell her that on many occasions when they were together.

Ume widened her eyes and let out a little laugh, secretly wondering where in hell this woman came from. "I suppose you two met on her vacation?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kikyo replied, "She was a good friend."

"That's good that you had a nice friend, besides that ruffian, Sango." Ume said with relief.

Kagome smiled secretly to herself and sat the shoe down on a the rack nearest the door. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Kikyo and thank her for bringing me my shoe. I love you, Mama." She placed a kiss on her cheek and didn't look back as Kikyo bid her farewell.

When the door closed and the two women were out of sight from the window, Kagome's arms flung around her slender frame, "Where did you come from?" She squealed, raising those tempestuous eyes to the older woman.

"I'm here on business and like always, when InuYasha has a problem, he calls me to fix it. I was up anyway. I've got all sorts of crazy cravings and stuff." Kikyo snorted, wrapping her arms around herself as they carefully ended their descent onto the sidewalk.

"You're pregnant?" Kagome blinked, looking down at her flat stomach.

"I just found out a week ago. InuYasha's not too keen that I decided to marry his brother, but what can you do? I didn't expect it." She laughed.

"That's great, though. I hope that you stay as happy as you are now. It's really good to see you, Kikyo." Kagome said as she turned a corner, not really caring if she made it on time or not. "How did you find me, anyway?"

Kikyo scrunched her nose and adjusted her hat. "Sango told me where to go. InuYasha said that when he saw you he pretty much turned into a girl."

Kagome smiled into her scarf, "I really missed him. I thought that you would be mad, or upset about it, but I'm glad you're not. I love him so much that I could burst. I thought I might have if I hadn't seen him last night."

"Ever since their dad passed, he and Sesshomaru have both been a bit off. They don't realize it, but that was one of the only things that held them together and now I kind of am. It's strange how things work out." Kikyo shrugged, eyes rolling over the bakery and the warmth it promised.

Grabbing Kagome's hand, she lead her across the street and begged her to come inside. When she complied, Kikyo bought her breakfast and they sat in a booth nearest the old plugged in heater; completely content with their bodies being charred.

"I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but your mom seemed like she wanted to strangle me." Kikyo said as she took a bite of her muffin. "I've seen that disapproving look before. I don't know why people don't like me. I'm nice."

Kagome picked apart her donut, holding her heavy head up with her hand. If she hadn't played hookey, she probably would have been drooling on her desk. "My mom has been overly protective of us since my dad died. It's been so long that I barely remember what he looks like without a picture to remind me. She doesn't realize that holding us so close is pushing us away. We love her, more than anything, but she doesn't want us to find a way without her, because she has no one else."

'That's understandable, but you can't blame her for being upset that you ran off in the middle of the night. Whenever this thing decides to do something I don't like, I'm probably going to be the _I'm going to ground you and never let you have fun ever again_ mom." Kikyo chided. "Honestly, though," Her eyes fell slightly, "I think that you have a lot of potential that you shouldn't waste on rebeling. I did. It took me a while, but I got where I needed to be. InuYasha needed you to see what was wrong with _our _realtionship and for him to realize that he isn't a sorry person. He's so smitten by you, I think he might have evaporated if you hadn't come by."

Kikyo searched for something else to say, and squinted her eyes. "He's stupid though. InuYasha really should have called you or something. I'd be so pissed."

Kagome covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. She adored this woman and couldn't imagine why InuYasha had ever let her go. But, at the same time, she thanked her for giving him the chance to fall in love again and sprout some new roots.

The womn eventually became her mentor and her mother actually got over the sassiness and let her stay over a few days before Sango's wedding. Which, had turned out to be beautiful and overflowing with emotion from every party involved.

InuYasha had cleaned up, trimmed his hair and sent Kikyo money to buy Kagome something formal to wear. When he saw her, he attached himself to her like a second skin and didn't let Sango even get a chance to get at her. He made love to her and promised to wait, but as the seasons went on, Kagome wondered if he would still be there when her courses were over in early spring.

Kikyo was about to burst and had been in and out of doctors appointments and the like. She met Sesshomaru for the first time and was terrified of him. She'd never really known a businessman quite like him. He was savvy, intelligent, down right brutal.

Though, Kikyo brought out a tenderness, especially after she had Rin.

Kagome couldn't help but muse about the way her winter had crept by, achingly slow and obnoxious. When spring began to stir up the first hints of sakura and rebirth to the deadend life, she had told her mother she was taking a break and it hadn't gone over well.

Ume had finally accepted that Kagome was no longer the five year old, standing with her father in her summer dress and small sandals strapped over her feet. She was a filled out, tall and beautiful woman. She had done what she had set out to do and Ume had to give her away to her own charms.

Kagome had promised she wasn't leaving forever and found herself gravitating back to the shanty. Her small bag was packed with the barest of necessitites as she rounded the bend, like she had so many times before. Part of her was curious if InuYasha would still want her after all of this time.

They had seen each other here and there, hoping that it would last longer than it had. In the end, the girl found herself stepping off the train and walking the entire way to the town and stood tall on the sandbar. Her heart was home and her body was just the vessal to lead her there.

The evening was stretched out over the horizon and it made her smile as the breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders. There was nothing like this little place, so far from the world of excess. It really wasn't far from anything, but the fact that it was _hers_ made it feel that way.

Heading down the familiar path, she saw Kagura smoking her cigarette, gabbing to someone on her phone. Totosai was sitting beside her on a bucket, smoking out of his pipe, sunglasses drapped on his forehead.

There was a new girl that peeked her head out the door, nervously waiting for approval before she did anything out of step. Kagome knew her and she knew what would become of her. By the end of the season, she would be completely different and home.

Koga saw her and ran up to her, bringing his girlfriend in tow. He waved around her hand and showed her the large diamond her had put on her finger and all Kagome would do was jump up and down crying for them. Ayame did a dance and latched on to her arms, completely oblivious to her other have sending Kagome the faintest of sadness. He loved that red head, though. She knew that.

When Koga had pulled her away to the dinner, Kagome made her escape to the conclave of houses and braced herself as she knocked on the door. She wasn't aware that the house had been renovated and she frowned slightly.

Sitting her bag down, she knocked on the door loudly; then again, and again to no answer. Sighing, she pushed the door open and found no one in the house. There were a few empty bottles of beer sitting on a newly replaced counter and a more open living room.

There was obviously a larger television, and it made her roll her eyes. Men were so picky about their electronics, especially when it wasn't really necessary. Heading upstairs, she called softly for InuYasha and was surprised to see the middle bedroom gone, and extended in the bedroom that they once shared.

She didn't dare open the door and leaned against it, feeling her heart flutter. She ran to Sango's old room to find it stuffed with colorful sheets and new drapery. There was a new bed and nicer furniture, obviously a sign that this was really a home instead of a getaway.

Conceeding to this failure, she walked down stairs and to the back door, while the evening darkend in the interior of the house. She realized the lights she strung were still there and she smiled at them, tracing her fingers lovingly over the bulbs as they glowed brightly in the dusk.

She wrapped her arms around herself and pulled at the cotton of her dress. It was then she saw Sango and Miroku dragging a folded table behind them as they laughed. She furrowed her brows at them until the other woman bolted forward and knocked her down.

Miroku was hopeful but it was extinguished when Kagome looked upset at the absence of that one person. The rest of the night they sat around a small fire, talking about their work and their new lives. Kagome had been so intrigued she had lost track of the time and realized how dark it had become.

Part of her died knowing that he wasn't there when she arrived. It was almost like being cut to pieces and having no help in finding them. As the wind picked up and blew out the fire into a smoking ember, Sango and Miroku crept inside the house to sit on that same old dirty couch, misplaced by all of the additions.

Kagome took in the cool night and began headed towards the beach. She found the lifeguard chair empty and finally decided to climb up and count the stars above her head, listening to the bittersweet tune the ocean played for her.

A while had passed when she heard panting from below and saw InuYasha, holding his chest. The woman leaned over, hair spilling over her shoulders to hang about her face. "InuYasha..." She muttered, watching his lanky body climb up the rungs until he stood high above her. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling every inch of him press into her.

He held her there, still and quiet as he took her in.

"I'm sorry I can never be on time." The man rasped, laughing slightly as he brushed her hair with his fingers.

The woman raised her eyes lovingly and pulled him closer."I'm used to it by now. You just need to make sure you let me know you aren't leaving me." The moonlight hung overhead, bathing them in the ethereal hues it painted. His jacket fluttered against the zephyrs and her hair danced along with it. There was a moment of solace when he placed a ginger kiss upon her lips, not expecting anything more than that.

In the stillness, he leaned his nose against hers and smirked. "Well, I was picking this ring and I kind of missed the train." InuYasha said with a shrug, pulling out a small box from his pocket.

Kagome couldn't speak, or make any expression. She was just floored, for a lack of a better word. There, in the middle of the night, she was being handed a small silver ring with a sapphire heart in the center. She wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but she shook as he slid it on her finger.

"I didn't buy an engagement ring, or one of those dumbass promise rings." InuYasha chided, "_But_, I did buy you a _we're going to try_ ring."

Kagome absently smacked him as she saw Miroku popping firecrackers at the base of the chair, screaming in some sort of pseudo victory dance. Sango lit some sparklers and started running along the shoals, reflecting the twinkling light in the glassy water.

InuYasha helped Kagome down the ladder and pulled her on his back as she lit her own. Wrapping an arm around his chest, she leaned into him as he ran off with her with her own trail of stardust.


End file.
